We sadly witness today something unprecedented in 2,000 years of Church history ~ an assault on the truth by a Bergoglian Papacy which shields predator clerics, formally approves pagan rituals (the new Mayan rite Mass) and promotes sodomy (a la James Martin, S.J.) even as it censures and removes from office holy and faithful prelates simply for adhering to traditional teachings and morality. It would seem that the ‘Pope of Mercy’ has little mercy to spare for those who cross his agenda.

This past March he removed Bishop Daniel Fernandez Torres of Arecibo, Puerto Rico from his lawful See, providing no reason or explanation in what Bishop Torres decried as “a totally unjust action.” It appears that the good bishop had irritated the homo-friendly Archbishop of San Juan and the Vatican Politburo (formerly known as the Curia) by defending conscience objections to the onerous vaccine mandates being pushed onto the Puerto Rican clergy and religious. Apparently the ‘Church of Accompaniment’ quickly morphs into the ‘Bully Church’ when the issue is no longer basic morality but climate change, the environment, or invasive medical interventions.

Last weekend another Bergoglian lightning bolt fell from the sky, landing on the head of another faithful pastor, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas. The bishop was unceremoniously removed from his office by diktat literally the day before the 400th anniversary of the treacherous and brutal martyrdom of St. Josaphat, the Ukrainian bishop killed for his tireless work to heal the schism between Rome and the Greek Orthodox believers. Like St. Josaphat, Bishop Strickland’s offense seems to have been a deep desire to reconcile factions, in this case traditional Latin Mass Catholics with his mainstream flock. As the good bishop explained, “I didn’t implement Traditionis Custodes (Bergoglio’s motu proprio intended to countermand Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum permitting wide use of the TLM) because I can’t starve part of my flock.”

His pastoral reasoning is no different from a lieutenant in the field refusing to obey an immoral command to firebomb a peaceful village. One must refuse to obey an immoral order. By putting his little flock ahead of the unconscienable demands of the current progressive agenda running rampant in Rome, Strickland apparently earned the ire of the tyrant pope. Again, in his removal there was no due process, justification, or explanation offered for this abrupt deposing of a good and faithful prelate whose only offense seems to be the upholding of Catholic tradition and doctrine.

Not by way of justifying this canonically illicit action, but perhaps only to excuse the inexcusable, the Cardinal Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, Daniel Di Nardo remarked that, “continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible.” Of course what the cagey cardinal really meant to say was that the continued presence of Bishop Strickland was “not convenient,” much the same way that Henry VIII’s marriage to Queen Catharine was “not convenient” to his desire to marry Anne Boleyn. One dare not contradict the King – or the Pope – as the case may be.

Of course, such an attitude is completely antithetical to what we read in Sacred Scripture where St. Paul writes in Galatians, “When Peter came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face… since he was manifestly in the wrong.” (Gal. 2:11-14) Did Peter, Christ’s chosen vicar, then peevishly depose Paul for insubordination? Not at all! In fact we know that Peter submitted to Paul’s just criticism on the issue in question. Any true follower of Peter would have the wisdom and humility to do the same, yet in this case where do we see any of that vaunted ‘dialogue’ to which Francis pays constant lip service? How much dialogue did he engage in with either Bishops Torres or Strickland before precipitously dropping the ax?

Consider that this is the same man who rehabilitated the infamous Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, entrusting him to negotiate a secret deal with the Chinese Communists, all the while shunting to the sidelines Cardinal Zen and his urgent warnings and protestations regarding the immeasurable harm the pact would cause to Chinese Catholics. Much like the Sanhedrin of old, the current Vatican Sanhedrin is doing everything in its power to appease and curry favor with the secular global world powers that be. And this new Sanhedrin’s leader, like Caiaphas before him, seems to agree that “it is better for one man to die for the people.” (Jn. 18:14)

This tragic scene has been replayed countless times throughout the Church’s history, and every time there is a scapegoat ~ a sacrificial victim meant to appease the worldly powers. This time around it is Pope Caiaphas sacrificing Bishop Joseph Strickland, and there will undoubtedly be others to follow. For his part Bishop Strickland seems content to be the proverbial lamb, meekly led to slaughter, who opens not his mouth. He follows in the glorious footsteps of other great prelates sacrificed on the altar of convenience: St. Thomas Beckett, St. John Fisher, St. Josaphat, and yes twelve of those original apostles in whose steps every bishop is intended to walk.

There are over 350 bishops in this country who have watched this grave injustice unfold in real time. How many of them will issue even the mildest protest or rise to defend their brother bishop remains to be seen. I pray that the track record in Henry VIII’s England where over 300 bishops, save one, uttered not a peep in protest to the king’s grave injustices, will not be repeated today, but don’t hold your breath. It seems that the truthful and righteous man will ever be despised and hated, even among his own kindred. The Book of Wisdom reminds us of this inevitability. “As for the poor virtuous man, let us oppose him… Let us lie in wait for the just man since he annoys us and opposes our way of life; reproaches us for our transgressions of the law, and accuses us of disregarding our training. (Wis. 2:10; 12)

Let us keep Bishop Strickland, Bishop Torres, and all the good pastors who find themselves cancelled for being faithful stewards of the deposit of Faith, in our fervent prayers. Speaking truth to power is always a perilous pathway, but thankfully there are still a few courageous men (and women) who are not afraid to do so when the circumstances demand we do so.

Francis J. Pierson + a.m.d.g.