Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Over the weekend, news broke that Pope Francis had removed Tyler, Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland from his office. Strickland had been, at times, an outspoken critic of the pope and some of his positions on hot button issues, such as women in Church governance and LGBTQ+ issues, and encyclicals and has been a champion of orthodoxy. Gus says that neither the pope nor the Vatican have provided an official explanation as to why he was removed and doesn't expect one to be forthcoming. He points out that, earlier this month, Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann, of the Diocese of Speyer, Germany, has asked his pastors to bless same-sex marriages, which flies in the face of not only Church teaching, but directives from Pope Francis, but there's been no removal, threat of removal or reprimand. Gus asks aloud if there's a two-tier system of justice for conservative and progressive Catholics and invites listeners to call in with their thoughts.

Later, Catholic Answers author Michael Lofton sits down with Gus in the Conversion Corner. He is a convert from the Eastern Orthodox Church and the author of the new book, "Answering Orthodoxy: A Catholic Response to Attacks from the East." Michael shares that he grew up Protestant but converted to Judaism as a kid when his mother did. He eventually found Catholicism but got scandalized by events in the Church both globally and locally, which led him to Eastern Orthodoxy. He further got disenchanted there and talks about what led him back to the Catholic faith.

And Gus shares the sad news that his mother-in-law, Tina McDaniel, passed away on Friday. She was 95.