What did Bishop Strickland of Tyler Texas do? Controversy explained as Vatican investigates parish priest 

Bishop Strickland from the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, is reportedly in the middle of a Vatican-led investigation over his administrative leadership in the parish, supposedly stemming from his controversial social media posts.

On Saturday, June 24, reports surfaced that Joseph Strickland, 64, was the subject of an inquiry known as an apostolic visitation, where the Vatican investigates a U.S parish for possible disciplinary action against a Bishop. On Sunday, The Pillar confirmed that Bishops Gerald Kicanas (formerly of Tucson) and Dennis Sullivan (of Camden, New Jersey), accompanied by two priests, conducted the visitation last week.

While the exact nature of the visitation is unknown, multiple reports citing sources close to the Diocese said that the investigation was in connection to Bishop Strickland's increasingly polarizing comments on social media on issues related to LGBTQ rights, marriage, abortion and most recently, his criticism of a newly released Vatican document.

The Vatican document, among other things, reportedly included greater inclusion for LGBT people under topics for discussion at an October assembly. In a tweet on June 21, Strickland condemned the said document and said:

“It is a travesty that these things are even proposed for discussion. I pray that all who truly know Jesus Christ will not be deceived by this path. The Gospel welcomes all to repentance & sanctity, if there is no repentance the barriers to sanctity remain.”

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Bishop Strickland from Tyler Texas held a protest against Dodgers for honoring a drag group

On Saturday, a source in the diocese, who spoke with EWTN News, said that during the apostolic visitation, Bishop Strickland, who has historically defended the conservative's views on issues related to marriage and abortion, was questioned about his social media posts that were supposedly in breach of ecclesiastical protocol.

The investigation comes in the wake of the bishop organizing a prayer rally in Los Angeles on June 16 to protest the Dodgers for honoring a drag group at the team’s annual Pride Night game.

Last month, in an intemperate social media post, the bishop targeted Pope Francis, saying that he rejected “his program of undermining the Deposit of Faith." The tweet read:

“Please allow me to clarify regarding, “Patrick Coffin has challenged the authenticity of Pope Francis.” If this is accurate I disagree, I believe Pope Francis is the Pope but it is time for me to say that I reject his program of undermining the Deposit of Faith. Follow Jesus.”

The tweet appears to have incensed the higher powers in the Vatican, prompting an investigation over the bishop's divisive social media posts.

In addition to bishop Strickland's dissenting views, he is also accused of providing refuge to an expelled French nun, the former Mother Marie Ferréol. The nun was banished by Pope Francis in 2021 for criticizing the institute’s government.

At the time, the French Catholic newspaper La Croix said:

“She tried to pit one sister against another, as well as against the superiors, right up to Pope Francis, towards whom she made some very virulent remarks.”

While Bishop Strickland has yet to respond to the Vatican’s investigation, in a vague Tweet on Sunday, he wrote:

“To be persecuted for speaking the truth is an honor every Christian should be willing to embrace. It is walking with Jesus Christ who is Truth Incarnate. If we know Jesus it is easier to speak His Truth no matter what forces oppose us. The opposition is temporary, Jesus is forever.”

Bishop Strickland has been the Tyler, Texas diocese leader since 2012.