Describing Pope Francis’ papacy as a time of “confusion,” Bishop Joseph Strickland, the former bishop of Tyler, Texas, urged Catholics to pray for “clarity” and for the repose of the late Popes’ soul.
“It probably sounds a little negative, but I think it’s the reality [that] it’s been a confusing time,” Strickland said Tuesday on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America.” “Certainly, when you look back to COVID and all of that, there’s been a lot of confusion in the world, but I think confusion would be a lot of what people will remember.
“Sometimes confused in ways that made them angry, sometimes made them very hopeful, but still confusion, and I think that, really I hope for and pray for real clarity, for the church, for humanity, coming from the light of Christ, that the church brings us the truth that is Jesus Christ. So, I’d have to say that it’s been a confusing time, a time of turmoil.”
Francis, 88, died on Easter Monday of a stroke and irreversible heart failure, according to a Vatican death certificate. After lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, beginning Wednesday, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American Pope is set to be laid to rest Saturday after his funeral in St. Peter’s Square.
Francis removed Strickland from church leadership in Tyler, Texas, in 2023 after Strickland publicly criticized several of his positions on social and theological issues. Still, after Francis’ passing, Strickland took to social platform X to encourage prayer for the eternal rest of Francis.
Asked about the conciliatory tone of his post, given his history of clashing with Francis, Strickland said it was “a heartfelt statement” and pointed out that Catholics and Christians alike are called to “pray for everyone who has died.”
“It’s a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead,” he said. “That is part of our Catholic teaching. It comes right out of Scripture. That is the attitude we should always have. When someone known in the world dies, like when Queen Elizabeth died, we believe we should pray for that person, pray for God’s mercy to be showered upon them.
“It’s a moment of no more decision. Death means this journey is over, but we believe life is called into eternity to continue. So, we pray for those transitioning from this life to the next to be fully in the mercy of God. And, thankfully, God is the only judge. We make a lot of judgments, as we should, but God is the only judge. So, we commend every person into the merciful hands of God.”
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