Clericalism

Endgame for a papacy of contradictions

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture, February 26, 2024 Two important pieces appeared online over the past weekend. Each one summarized a major difficulty facing Pope Francis. Taken together these two short essays convey the impression that the contradictions of this pontificate may be reaching a... read more

Bishop Strickland barred from saying Mass in Diocese of Tyler, Texas

At a recent staff meeting, employees were reportedly informed that while Strickland cannot offer Mass in the diocese, he may do so elsewhere. The source is known to LifeSiteNews. By LifeSite Staff, December 7, 2023 (LifeSiteNews) — LifeSiteNews has learned that... read more

Cardinal Burke notified of Vatican apartment changes

The Pillar, December 3, 2023 Cardinal Raymond Burke received notice Friday that he must soon begin paying market rate rent on his Vatican apartment, or vacate the residence in early 2024. The Pillar has confirmed that on Dec. 1, Burke received a letter from the Apostolic See dated... read more

Pope Francis and the ‘subsidiarity’ of the rule of law

By Ed Condon, The Pillar, November 30, 2023 There is no set process or criteria for disciplining or dismissing a bishop, one of the Vatican’s most senior canon lawyers said Tuesday, while insisting that decentralization remains central to the Church’s ecclesiology. Speaking to press Nov.... read more

Pope Francis reportedly takes Vatican apartment, salary from Cardinal Burke

By Jonathon Liedl, Catholic News Agency, November 28, 2023 Pope Francis has stripped one of his top American critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, of his Vatican housing and salary privileges, the Associated Press is reporting. According to the AP report, which is based on conversations with... read more

Strickland’s removal was against canon law

By Fr. Gerald Murray, Daily Compass, November 22, 20232 The removal of Msgr. Strickland from the leadership of the diocese by Pope Francis, took place without a trial, in violation of canonical norms. Msgr. Torres received the same treatment in 2022. As Saint John Paul II explained, this... read more

Ruling vs. Leading the Church

In Pope Francis's favorite book "The Lord of the World," the fictional pope does not lead but rules the Church. Ecclesiastical power is centralized in his person. The Cardinal Legates are his supervisors of the local Church. Some might see a pattern here. By Msgr. Richard C. Antall, Crisis... read more

Bishop Strickland Becomes a Victim for the Church He Loves

The removal of Bishop Joseph Strickland is the culmination of a process that began on a cold morning in Baltimore five years ago today. By Kevin Wells, Crisis Magazine, November 13, 2023 I remember the evening my childhood died. It was cold and just before Christmas; the lights were strung... read more

Strickland saga: Ousted bishop speculates on the reasons the Vatican removed him

By Jonathon Liedl, CNA Staff, November 12, 2023 Just hours after Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland as the head of the Diocese of Tyler, the Texas prelate went public to share his side of the story — filling in some blanks in the gripping saga that has put the now-former... read more

Why a Good Bishop Should Not Ignore but Obey His Unjust Deposition by a Pope

By Jose Antonio Ureta, One Peter Five, October 17, 2023 Responding to press reports that the pope will ask for his resignation, Bishop Joseph Strickland wrote on his blog: “I have said publicly that I cannot resign as Bishop of Tyler because that would be me abandoning the flock that I... read more

Cardinal says Latin Mass devotees haven’t been ‘banished’ from the church

By Elise Ann Allen, Crux, October 11, 2023 ROME – Asked about conservative Catholics who feel they are not represented in the ongoing Synod of Bishops on Synodality, specifically Latin Mass devotees struggling with restrictions imposed by Pope Francis, American Cardinal Joseph Tobin said... read more