The past few weeks have not been particularly good ones for Traditional Catholics. Pray for Bishop Strickland and for all Catholics who simply want to uphold the teachings which come down to us from Christ and His Apostles.
You’ve probably heard it by now. Here’s an excerpt from LifeSiteNews:
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) –– Pope Francis has removed Bishop Joseph Strickland from his role of shepherd and bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas. The shock announcement came via the Holy See’s daily bulletin, November 11. It stated simply: “The Holy Father has relieved from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Tyler (U.S.A.) H.E. Msgr. Joseph E. Strickland and appointed the Bishop of Austin, H.E. Msgr. Joe Vásquez, [Bishop of Austin] as the Apostolic Administrator of the vacated diocese.”
“I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.” (Matthew 26:31)
The article goes on to say: Per Canon 416, a diocesan see is normally made vacant by the bishop resigning, transferring, dying, or having a “privation” made known to him by the Pope. The Pope’s ability to remove a diocesan bishop is not without many restrictions: indeed, he can only issue a “privation” on the bishop exercising his office by following the precise and exacting confines of Canon Law.
Was this action taken in accordance with Canon Law? I don’t know, and I’m pretty sure I’m not clever enough to figure it out on my own. No doubt we’ll see much written about this in the coming weeks, and there will certainly be no shortage of material available on venues like YouTube where you can follow events (and the resulting debates) as they develop.
But this is a good reminder to those of us who cling to the Faith of our Fathers that we remain under attack. Take a look at this gleeful headline from the National Catholic Reporter, an outfit not exactly known for their orthodox views on much of anything:
Our enemies are rejoicing. Read the article for yourself, if you wish.
So, what should our response be to this? You can sign a petition of support. A meaningless gesture? Maybe. But something which most certainly isn’t meaningless is prayer. Pray for Bishop Strickland, and pray for the restoration of orthodoxy in our beloved Mother, the Church!
And to end this rather bleak posting on a more positive note, here’s a reminder that Traditional Catholics don’t cut & run! This is a scene from “The Infinite Front” (Spanish, 1959)
Viva Christo Rey!