The Pope today named a replacement for the American bishop he controversially fired more than a year ago.
Francis has appointed Auxiliary Bishop John Kelly of Dallas to succeed Bishop Joseph Strickland as the Bishop of Tyler, Texas.
Bishop Strickland, 66, was removed from office by the Pontiff in November last year and Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin given the role of administrator until a replacement was found.
Although the reasons for the 2023 apostolic visitation that led to Bishop Strickland’s dismissal were not made public, it is widely believed they related to Strickland’s public opposition to Pope Francis and his pastoral decisions.
