Bishop Joseph Strickland, who last month was removed from his duties in the diocese of Tyler, Texas, has asked other bishops to say "no" to Pope Francis' declaration concerning same-sex couples.
Francis formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex unions, with the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith earlier this week issuing a new document explaining that people seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to "an exhaustive moral analysis" to receive it.
Strickland, in a video statement given to Life Site News, asked that his "brother bishops all join with a voice of strength and joy in the Lord in these last days of Advent and say no to this latest document, and ask for a clarification of the true teachings of our Catholic faith."
"We really simply need to be a united voice saying, no, we will not respond to this, we will not incorporate this into the life of the church because we simply must say no," Strickland said. "It needs to be a united voice.
"In history, with the kinds of issues that we're facing, a Pope would call for a council. That isn't likely to happen now. But we need a united voice, something like a council, to address the confusion and the issues that continually arise to know the truth of Jesus Christ that is unchanging."
The Pope on Nov. 11 removed Bishop Strickland from his duties in the diocese of Tyler following a formal investigation, which included a visitation, by Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops.
In a statement from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo said, "As a result of the visitation, the recommendation was made to the Holy Father that the continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible."
The Vatican's investigation into Strickland came after the 65-year-old bishop had been posting social media messages and making other announcements critical of the Pope's support of "radical left-wing changes" to Church teachings.
Francis continually has claimed he is open and welcomes dissent, but he has taken harsh steps against traditionalists in the hierarchy who have disagreed with him.
Last year, he defrocked Rev. Frank Pavone, the nation's leading Catholic pro-life advocate.
In 2022, Francis shocked Catholics by appointing a pro-abortion economist to the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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