Be informed. Be challenged. Be inspired.

Fired US Catholic prelate appears near – but not at – bishops gathering

US Baltimore Joseph Strickland

Baltimore, US RNS A Texas bishop recently removed from his post by Pope Francis made an appearance near the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ annual gathering this week but avoided entering the building, telling reporters on Wednesday that he was respecting a request from the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States. Until Saturday, 11th November, […]

In very rare move, Pope dismisses conservative US Bishop Strickland

Bishop Joseph Strickland walks in front of a reliquary bearing the bones of Saint Maria Goretti, dubbed "The Little Saint of Great Mercy," into the sanctuary at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Monday, 2nd November, 2015, in Tyler, Texas.

Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis has dismissed Bishop Joseph E Strickland of Tyler, Texas, one of his fiercest critics among US Roman Catholic conservatives, a Vatican statement said on Saturday. It is very rare for a bishop to be relieved of his duties outright. Usually bishops in trouble with the Vatican are asked to resign […]

Critics of Pope Francis won’t rain on synod’s parade, says papal envoy to US

Cardinal-elect and Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Christophe Pierre speaks to the press at the Vatican, on Friday, 29th September 2023.

Vatican City RNS In the weeks leading up to the long-awaited Vatican Synod on Synodality from 4th to 29th October, perhaps no local church has been more polarized or vocally critical of the event than the conservative community in the US. But according to the Vatican representative to the US, Catholics shouldn’t be too concerned […]

US Catholic Bishop Strickland subject to Vatican investigation

Bishop Joseph Strickland speaks during the fall General Assembly meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, on 17th November, 2021, in Baltimore.

United States RNS The Vatican subjected the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Texas, to an apostolic visitation last week, a rare disciplinary investigation by the Holy See into the diocese overseen by Bishop Joseph E Strickland, a controversial firebrand conservative cleric who has publicly criticised Pope Francis. A representative for the diocese confirmed reports of the […]

Anti-abortion priest Pavone defrocked for blasphemous posts

US Florida Frank Pavone 2009

Vatican City AP The Vatican has defrocked an anti-abortion US priest, Frank Pavone, for what it said were “blasphemous communications on social media” as well as “persistent disobedience” of his bishop who repeatedly told him to stop his partisan activism for Donald Trump. A letter to US bishops from the Vatican ambassador to the US, […]