Question 222 – How is Bishop Strickland?

Transcript:

Athanasius Schneider:

Bishop Strickland remains a bishop. He has not been suspended from his episcopal ministry; he is only removed from his position as the Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler. Therefore, he remains a Catholic bishop—he can still preach, celebrate Mass, and I hope he will continue to instruct Catholics in the true doctrine, bringing them comfort, light, and consolation in these dark times. I hope he will continue to be a light in the Church amidst this darkness. While he may no longer serve as a diocesan bishop, he will continue in his ministry as an emeritus bishop, but he remains a Catholic bishop.

Christopher Wendt:

Right, Your Excellency. So, as you mentioned, he is still a bishop and has the ability to ordain priests and perform confirmations, among other duties?

Athanasius Schneider:

Of course. He is not suspended, and while he is no longer a diocesan bishop, emeritus bishops still retain the right to administer the sacrament of Confirmation and ordinations, with the consent of the respective diocesan bishop. It depends on the local bishop to grant him this possibility.

Christopher Wendt:

Though the lay faithful are probably saddened and even shattered by this news, as you said, we are entering a new phase. I am trying to think of how we can help the lay faithful view this situation not in political or horizontal terms. How can we see that God will work a greater good out of the deposition of such a good, holy bishop like Bishop Strickland?

Athanasius Schneider:

Yes, we must see this through a supernatural and spiritual lens, because the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, and ultimately, the Church is in the hands of the almighty Jesus Christ. Of course, humanly speaking, this is very sad. It demonstrates the extent to which the enemies of Christ, the enemies of the Church, and the enemies of the truth have infiltrated. When someone is an enemy of the full truth, they are also an enemy of Christ. These powers have penetrated the Church, occupying important offices and roles, using their temporal power within the Church to eliminate those who resist this new movement to change the faith, change the Church, and adapt it to the wishes of this world. They are trying to transform the Church into a kind of Protestant community or NGO with some religious trappings.

All of these things are happening in the Church, but they will not succeed. Even though these enemies have infiltrated the Church, they will not succeed in changing it. The Church will remain Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman, and the Cathedral of Peter in Rome will one day have a powerful, courageous successor of Peter, who will strengthen all the bishops and the faithful in the true Catholic faith. This is our vision. However, I repeat, the deposition of Bishop Strickland is a very evident demonstration of the extent of the crisis the Church is currently facing and how high it has reached. But as St. Paul says, where sin increases, grace also abounds. The Lord will grant His faithful servants His grace and strength once again.