{"id":2103673,"date":"2023-11-20T08:18:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-20T13:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-bishop-strickland-saga-outs-pope-francis-as-a-catholic-king-lear\/"},"modified":"2023-11-20T08:23:17","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T13:23:17","slug":"the-bishop-strickland-saga-outs-pope-francis-as-a-catholic-king-lear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-bishop-strickland-saga-outs-pope-francis-as-a-catholic-king-lear\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bishop Strickland Saga Outs Pope Francis As A Catholic King Lear"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-bishop-strickland-saga-outs-pope-francis-as-a-catholic-king-lear%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2103673&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pope \u200dFrancis Removes Bishop Strickland: What&#8217;s the Real \u2062Story?<\/h2>\n<p>On the heels of the pointless <a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/255852\/in-summary-report-synod\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Synod on Synodality<\/a> and\u2062 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecatholicthing.org\/2023\/11\/07\/three-theologians-on-the-popes-paradigm-shift-in-theology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confusing motu prio on theology<\/a>, Pope Francis finally caught the world\u2019s attention\u200c by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/pope-francis-dismisses-conservative-us-bishop-strickland-2023-11-11\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">removing \u2062Bishop Joseph Strickland\u200d from leading the Diocese of Tyler<\/a> in East Texas. Francis offered no explanation for\u200b the move, so he has \u200cleft everyone following the story to speculate\u200c on the reasons.\u2062 As far as anyone knows, Strickland didn\u2019t have any scandals, nor did he\u2064 deviate \u2063from\u200c the Roman Catholic Church\u2019s \u2063teachings. On the contrary, \u200dhe is\u2063 one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/nation\/pope-forcibly-removes-texas-bishop-joseph-strickland-a-vocal-u-s-conservative\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">loudest proponents of Catholic\u200c orthodoxy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Strickland was\u200b a conservative who sympathized\u200b with traditionalist Catholics. He \u2063asked <a href=\"https:\/\/crisismagazine.com\/opinion\/bishop-strickland-becomes-a-victim-for-the-church-he-loves\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">uncomfortable \u200bquestions<\/a> about the Catholic leadership deliberately ignoring sexual abuse.\u2062 As Catholic writer <a href=\"https:\/\/crisismagazine.com\/opinion\/bishop-strickland-becomes-a-victim-for-the-church-he-loves\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kevin Wells explains in a recent essay<\/a>, five \u200dyears ago Strickland openly \u2062questioned why nothing was done\u2063 with then-Cardinal\u200b Theodore McCarrick, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/39260\/seminarians-were-mccarrick-aides-amid-abuse-investigation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">notorious sexual\u2064 predator who preyed on incoming seminarians at his\u200d beach house<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1019883328\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-d4835cdafa259474bcaf18dd79607b66 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-d4835cdafa259474bcaf18dd79607b66\"><\/div>\n<p>Strickland has since developed a reputation for opposing Francis\u2019\u200d progressive agenda. This culminated in\u200d a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsmax.com\/newsmax-tv\/bishop-joseph-strickland-catholic-church\/2023\/11\/14\/id\/1142288\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">number\u200c of\u2063 criticisms<\/a> of the latest synod. He expressed fears\u2062 about \u2063massive \u2064changes \u200bto the \u2064church\u2019s teachings. In all likelihood, Strickland\u2019s complaints \u2014\u2063 and \u2062those of men like him\u200d \u2014 prevented these changes from occurring. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strickland\u2019s\u200b Loyalty to Francis<\/h2>\n<p>Various Marxists, who self-identify as Catholics (aka \u201cliberal Catholics\u201d), have attributed Strickland\u2019s demotion to a \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/cruxnow.com\/vatican\/2023\/11\/pope-removes-texas-bishop-whos-been-a-frequent-francis-critic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">speech<\/a> he \u2063gave on Oct. 31 in which\u2062 he called \u2064Francis\u2063 a \u201cusurper.\u201d They \u2062fail to\u200b mention, however, that Strickland read those\u2062 words\u200c from a letter he received. He\u2062 was not asserting the claim \u2062himself. They \u200balso neglect to mention that Strickland has repeatedly pledged loyalty to Francis \u200ddespite\u2064 pressure from his supporters to do otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>If Francis really\u2062 had\u2063 decided to punish Strickland for the speech, then he\u200d simply could have said so. Even if Francis had a flimsy reason for \u200dremoving \u2063Strickland, acknowledging it would at least help people\u2063 know where Francis stands.<\/p>\n<p>As for Strickland\u2019s response to his removal, he\u200c has shown the utmost<a href=\"https:\/\/catholicvote.org\/ousted-bishop-strickland-calls-for-prayers-for-pope-warns-of-forces-corrupting-church\/?mkt_tok=NDI3LUxFUS0wNjYAAAGPZ0LKQ1-xAGCk0CRSqEDy2QmO3dDpgf2C63z2hrb9BI_4sHkBzZ-NByD5YCEo6NTjzMm5D41dr8_lvTBeN02x6AXaMEiyMLcWusW1oBbX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> patience and \u2063grace<\/a>. He refused to break with the church and become a sedevacantist, a schismatic Catholic who rejects the pope\u2019s legitimacy. Instead, Strickland has asked people to\u2063 pray for \u200bFrancis \u2064and\u200b keep the faith.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-d8c74a8192a939aaf221fe1e44637bca fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-d8c74a8192a939aaf221fe1e44637bca\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Francis\u2019 Motivations<\/h2>\n<p>Catholics \u2014\u2064 and\u2062 the Christian world in general \u2014 deserve to know more about the\u2062 whole ordeal. They deserve more details, especially at a time when so many souls continue\u2062 to go astray and governments marginalize and persecute the faithful. <\/p>\n<p>So \u2064why has Francis removed Strickland? What\u2019s his plan?<\/p>\n<p>Some commentators will point to possible <a href=\"https:\/\/crisismagazine.com\/opinion\/amoris-laetitia-post-modern-papacy-pope-francis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">postmodern influences<\/a> on Francis.\u200c Others \u2063speculate about \u2063the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.churchmilitant.com\/news\/article\/the-lavender-mafia-unmasked\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lavender Mafia<\/a>\u201d conspiring behind the scenes. Some consider \u200dhim \u200da <a href=\"https:\/\/theweek.com\/articles\/443083\/pope-francis-machiavellian-strategy-liberalize-catholic-church\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Machiavellian prince \u200c <\/a>consolidating his power and eliminating his opposition.\u200d Others\u200b will naively take Francis at his word and \u2063believe he does all this\u2063 to make \u2063the \u2062church <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vaticannews.va\/en\/pope\/news\/2022-10\/pope-centesimus-annus-meeting-inclusive-growth-development.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more inclusive<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But I believe his motivations are\u2064 much simpler and much more profound. It\u2019s not that he has\u200d some grand\u200c scheme to recreate the \u200cRoman Catholic Church in his image. Rather, Francis has become King Lear.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-604b8b6819c1d8c441388a81ad78bdd7 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-604b8b6819c1d8c441388a81ad78bdd7\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pope Francis, a Modern King Lear<\/h2>\n<p>For those\u200b unfamiliar with William Shakespeare\u2019s masterpiece, <em>King Lear <\/em>is about an old British king who decides to\u200c leave his\u200c kingdom to his two older \u200ddaughters. Lear\u2019s \u2064older \u2063daughters\u200d flatter him while he repudiates and disowns \u2064his youngest \u2064daughter because she tells him the\u200d truth. Sure enough, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-bishop-strickland-saga-outs-pope-francis-as-a-catholic-king-lear\/\" title=\"The Bishop Strickland Saga Outs Pope Francis As A Catholic King Lear\">older daughters quickly seize<\/a> their \u200dinheritance and kick\u200b their father out, leaving him \u200cto wander\u2063 the\u200b countryside with \u2062his court \u2062jester. As this\u200b happens, the daughter whom he rejected works\u200c to save him\u2063 despite \u200dhis former \u2063behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Something similar is \u2062happening with Francis, an old and distinguished monarch who has surrounded himself with\u2062 shameless yes-men. \u2064These advisers are inept \u200dideologues with ample personal baggage. They have absolutely no \u200cclue how to address any of the challenges facing today\u2019s \u200cChristians.\u2064 Sadly, Francis evidently \u2063prefers the \u200bsweet nothings \u200dof his circle to the harsh \u2062truths of men\u2063 like Strickland. His circle has kept him safely insulated from reality for \u200cyears now. This fact was \u2062recently revealed in his \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/crisismagazine.com\/opinion\/our-emersonian-pontiff\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bizarre\u2064 rant<\/a> on priests\u2062 acting like dandies.<\/p>\n<p>Just as Lear and his kingdom could only be\u200d saved \u200dby \u2062the \u200cdaughter he spurned, Francis and his church can only be saved by \u2063Catholics\u2063 who remain loyal despite it all. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Future Roman Catholic Church<\/h2>\n<p>Most Catholics, if \u200bthey are paying attention, can \u2063see that the Catholic left\u2019s\u200b supposed victories will soon evaporate. They will \u200cpass away with the Boomer generation. Francis is\u200b 86, and the \u2063average \u2062cardinal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pillarcatholic.com\/p\/americas-aging-bishops\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">is in his early 70s<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Waiting in the wings\u200d are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncronline.org\/news\/younger-us-catholic-priests-increasingly-identify-conservative-says-new-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">much more conservative clergy<\/a> ready to swing the ideological pendulum\u200b the other way. \u2063According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/255935\/major-survey-finds-conservative-and-orthodox-priests-on-the-rise-varying-levels-of-trust-in-bishops\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent report<\/a> from the Catholic News Agency, \u201ca full 85% of the youngest\u2062 cohort describes itself \u2062as \u2018conservative\/orthodox\u2019 or\u200d \u2018very conservative\/orthodox\u2019 theologically. Only 14 percent described themselves as \u201cmiddle-of-the-road.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The upcoming generation of priests \u200cwill be far less interested\u200d in the leftist distractions and \u200cmealy-mouthed platitudes that predominate among today\u2019s \u200cCatholic leadership.\u200d Instead, they\u2062 will challenge the lies of secular \u200bculture and ignite a spiritual \u200brevival\u2062 for\u2062 beleaguered Catholics.<\/p>\n<p>Strickland knows this truth. It\u2019s \u200cprobable that Francis \u2063and his circle \u200bknow it too, \u2063so they go \u2063out of their way to be relevant and adapt\u2063 to\u2064 secular culture. They will eagerly play footsie\u2064 with\u2063 environmentalists,\u2063 LGBT activists, multiculturalists, and \u2064authoritarian communists as\u2062 they deride \u2063traditionalists and conservatives\u2064 at\u2063 every turn. They know they had better do it\u200b now while they\u2019re\u200c still \u200balive and kicking.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wait with Faith, Hope, and Charity<\/h2>\n<p>Thus, for the foreseeable\u2063 future, the best thing Catholics can do \u200bis to exercise the Christian virtues of \u2063faith, hope, and\u200b charity. Our\u2064 king is out in the wilderness, and his evil daughters are in charge, making a \u2064mess of \u200cthings. \u200bMoreover, his advanced age has not made him wise but has only caused \u2064him\u200d to double down on his folly.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, he and his kingdom can be saved in good time.\u200d We just \u200dneed to focus on the future, \u2064have\u2063 children and raise them right, and wait for the \u200cstorm to pass.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does Bishop Strickland&#8217;s removal spark a broader conversation about the state of the Roman\u2064 Catholic \u200dChurch\u200c and the role of conservative voices within it?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Nd, he\u2062 has \u200bbeen respectful and obedient to Francis, despite his disagreements with certain aspects of the current agenda. \u2064In an\u2064 interview with Newsmax, Strickland stated, \u201cI\u2019ve never criticized the Holy Father personally. \u200dI\u2019ve always tried to say \u2018Here is what the teaching of the Church is,\u2019 and to the best of my ability, \u200cI teach it.\u201d This\u2062 demonstrates his\u2063 commitment to upholding \u2062the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church\u200d and his willingness\u200c to work \u200bwithin the \u2064existing framework.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Pope\u2019s Unexplained Decision<\/h2>\n<p>Given \u200bStrickland\u2019s \u200dadherence\u200c to \u2063Catholic orthodoxy\u2063 and \u200bhis expression of loyalty to\u200b Francis, \u200cthe removal of his \u2063leadership position is puzzling. \u200bThe lack\u200d of explanation from\u2062 the Pope leaves room for speculation and raises questions about the motivations behind this decision. Without a clear\u200c rationale, it becomes difficult to understand the exact reasons for Strickland\u2019s\u200c removal.<\/p>\n<p>Some have argued \u200bthat Strickland\u2019s removal is a result of\u200b his outspoken\u200c nature and his critiques of \u200dcertain aspects of the current papacy. Conservative Catholics who support Strickland view this \u200cas an \u2063attempt to stifle \u200bdissent and silence voices that \u2062challenge the status quo. Others believe that there may be deeper \u2062political or ideological reasons behind the Pope\u2019s\u2063 decision, \u2062but without further information, these claims remain speculative at best.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Significance of Strickland\u2019s Removal<\/h2>\n<p>Regardless \u2062of the specific reasons behind Strickland\u2019s\u200c removal, it has undoubtedly sparked a broader conversation\u2063 about \u2063the state of \u2064the \u200cRoman \u200cCatholic Church and \u200bthe role of conservative voices within it. Strickland\u2019s prominence as a defender of Catholic orthodoxy and his removal from his position sends a message to other conservative bishops and priests who may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/is-bidens-presidency-turning-out-to-be-obamas-third-term\/\" title=\"Is Biden\u2019s Presidency Turning Out To Be Obama\u2019s Third Term?\">hold similar views<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d repercussions of Strickland\u2019s removal extend beyond the Diocese of Tyler. It raises concerns among many faithful Catholics who are unsure of\u2063 the direction in which the Church is headed. It also highlights \u2063the existing tension between different \u2063factions within \u200dthe Church and the challenges faced by those who seek \u200dto maintain tradition and orthodoxy.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Concluding Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>Pope Francis\u2019 decision \u2063to remove Bishop Joseph Strickland from leadership has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/asa-hutchinson-nabs-4000-new-donors-after-gop-debate\/\" title=\"Asa Hutchinson gains 4,000 new donors post-GOP debate.\">generated significant attention<\/a> and speculation. The lack\u200b of explanation from the Pope has left \u200croom for interpretation and has given rise to various theories about the motivations behind this move. While Strickland\u2019s loyalty to Francis and adherence to Catholic teachings is evident, the reasons for his removal remain unclear.<\/p>\n<p>This case serves \u2064as a\u2063 reminder of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ex-opensea-managers-trial-kicks-off-in-first-nft-insider-trading-case\/\" title=\"Former OpenSea manager faces trial in groundbreaking NFT insider trading case. Get ready for the legal drama!\">ongoing challenges faced<\/a> by conservative voices within the Roman Catholic Church and\u2064 raises questions about\u2064 the\u2062 direction and\u2063 future of the Church under Pope Francis\u2019 leadership. It calls for a deeper\u2064 understanding of\u2064 the complexities and dynamics at \u2063play within the Church and a renewed commitment to dialogue and unity among its members.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On the heels of the pointless Synod on Synodality and a confusing motu prio on theology, Pope Francis finally caught the world\u2019s attention by removing Bishop Joseph Strickland from leading the Diocese of Tyler in East Texas. Francis offered no explanation for the move, so he has left everyone following the story to speculate on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":551,"featured_media":2103674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2103673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/551"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2103673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2103674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2103673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2103673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2103673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}