Tyler :

Pope Francis removed US Bishop Joseph Strickland from his position in the Diocese of Tyler in Texas and named an apostolic administrator to take his place, the Vatican announced. According to Houston Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Strickland was removed on November 11 after the Texas bishop turned down a request from the Vatican for him to tender his resignation.

A one-line statement from the Holy See said, “The Holy Father has removed Bishop Joseph E. Strickland from the pastoral care of the diocese of Tyler, United States of America, and has appointed Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin as apostolic administrator of the same diocese, rendering it sede vacante.”

The Vatican decision came after the completion of an Apostolic Visitation ordered by Pope Francis this June.  Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas of Tucson carried out the Visitation. According to DiNardo the prelates “conducted an exhaustive inquiry into all aspects of the governance and leadership of the Diocese of Tyler by its Ordinary, Bishop Joseph Strickland.”

Cardinal DiNardo said that following the visitation, the bishops informed the Holy Father that Bishop Strickland's continued tenure in office was “not feasible.”

“After months of careful consideration by the Dicastery for Bishops and the Holy Father, the decision was reached that the resignation of Bishop Strickland should be requested,” Cardinal DiNardo added. As per the statement, on November 9, Bishop Strickland was asked to resign from his position, which he declined. Two days later, the Vatican relieved the Bishop from his duties.

Bishop Strickland had been serving as the bishop of Tyler Diocese from 2012.