Ousted Tyler bishop rallies outside values meeting

BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. bishops inside a Baltimore hotel approved materials on how Catholics should vote in 2024 elections. Soon after, their recently ousted colleague and dozens of his supporters rallied outside the annual fall business meeting. Bishop Joseph Strickland is a conservative cleric who was recently removed by Pope Francis as head of the diocese of Tyler. His ouster followed his increasingly severe criticisms of the pontiff. Strickland prayed the rosary with dozens of supporters along the waterfront. Inside their conference room, the bishops approved a document about how Catholics should rely on the church’s teaching when making their ballot choices. The document restated many longstanding positions like opposition to abortion. The guide also spells out examples on what it means to uphold human dignity, including rejecting gender transitions, racism, assisted suicide, euthanasia, the death penalty and an economy of exclusion that harms people. It says to support common-sense gun violence prevention, immigrants, refugees and criminal justice reform.

Outside the meeting’s last day of public sessions, Strickland, the ousted bishop, continued to make his presence known.

Strickland said he was asked not to attend the meeting by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who as papal nuncio is Pope Francis’ diplomatic representative to the United States. Strickland said he wasn’t in Baltimore to start a movement, and he respected the Vatican’s decision: “The holy father has the authority to do what he’s done.”

Several supporters held signs voicing support for Strickland, including Mary Rappaport from Alexandria, Virginia, and Suzanne Allen from Westport, Connecticut. They traveled to Baltimore to stand with Strickland after his ouster.
“We’re in a spiritual battle. When the pope asked Bishop Strickland to resign, it was a wound to the whole church,” Allen said.

Strickland supporters mentioned disagreeing with the pope’s focus on climate change and his moves to welcome LGBTQ+ Catholics.