In a very rare move, Pope dismisses conservative US bishop

Pope Francis has dismissed one of his fiercest critics among US Roman Catholic conservatives, a Vatican statement set on Saturday, Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of Tyler Texas. It's a very rare move for the Holy See. Usually, bishops in trouble with the Vatican are asked to resign before submitting a resignation, which the Pope accepts. Pope's makes such moves when a bishop refuses a request to resign. And they're

considered drastic. Strickland was named to the diocese by the late Pope Benedict in 2012, and at 65 is 10 years shy of the usual retirement age for bishops. He had become one of the most vocal standard bearers of the ultra conservative wing of the US church and has a national following far beyond the small diocese in eastern Texas. He's been particularly critical of the Pope's attempts

to make the church more welcoming to the LGBTQ plus community and attempts by Francis to give lay people more responsibility in the church. In August, the Pope lamented what he called a reactionary Catholic church in the US, where he said political ideology had replaced faith in some cases. Strickland's dismissal follows a Vatican investigation earlier this year into the administration of the Tyler diocese, which Catholic media

reports said included a review of his handling of financial affairs. It was announced simultaneously by the Vatican and the US bishops conference. Neither statement gave a reason. There was no immediate response from Strickland to his dismissal. He had said earlier this year that he would refuse to resign if asked.