In a forceful public message that has stirred intense discussion across the Catholic world, Bishop Joseph Strickland issued a direct challenge to Pope Leo XIV and bishops worldwide, urging them to confront what he describes as widespread scandal, silence, and compromise within the hierarchy. His remarks came in a lengthy statement posted to X on November 14, according to LifeSiteNews.
Strickland asked Church leaders how long they intend to “serve two masters” and ignore the harm being inflicted on the faithful. “How long will you halt between two masters? If you believe Christ is Lord, then follow Him! If the world is your master, then go to it!” he wrote, according to LifeSiteNews. The bishop said that clergy who cooperate with worldly ideologies “profane His sanctuary while you betray the Cross.”
Strickland did not shy away from blunt warnings. “A massive stockpile of millstones is ready to be distributed among you,” he wrote. “One for Pope Leo, a truck load for the Curia in the Vatican, and cargo ships full for the vast majority of today’s successors of the Apostles,” LifeSiteNews reported.
Concerns Over Liturgical Abuse
One of Strickland’s most significant accusations centers on irreverent or heterodox celebrations of the Mass. He wrote that bishops “make the Sacred Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Holy Mass, a bauble, a bargaining chip for your worldly conniving, a platform for spewing heresy,” according to LifeSiteNews. He expressed grief that such liturgies wound the faithful while receiving little to no correction from shepherds entrusted to guard the sacraments.
Silence on Same-Sex “Couples” and Calls for Conversion
The bishop also condemned the growing practice of welcoming openly same-sex “couples” into ecclesial events or even the sanctuary without any call to repentance. He said bishops “welcome couples caught up in sin, flaunting their sad disordered lives… and instead of calling them to repentance in Jesus Christ you have a chat about silly things,” LifeSiteNews reported.
Strickland emphasized that such actions “harm the little ones,” a phrase he repeatedly used to describe vulnerable or poorly formed Catholics who can be misled by what appears to be official approval of sinful relationships.
He cited the recent confirmation Mass of a homosexual ABC News correspondent and the Pope’s recent private audience with a same-sex pair. During that meeting, Pope Leo reportedly “nodded approvingly at the mention of that (so-called) ministry,” according to Letters from Leo, as referenced by LifeSiteNews. Strickland argues that failing to clearly teach the truth of the Church while offering gestures of approval fosters confusion and spiritual danger.
Immigration and the Duty to Protect
Strickland also criticized the hierarchy’s rhetoric on immigration, arguing that it often ignores the real suffering inflicted on citizens and migrants alike by lawless border conditions. “You harm the little ones when you promote lawlessness and turn a blind eye to the rapes, the murders and the attacks of nefarious criminals who waltz across open borders,” he said, according to LifeSiteNews.
He acknowledged that the Church rightly calls for migrants to be treated with dignity, but insisted that bishops routinely overlook the criminal exploitation and violence connected with illegal crossings. He warned that communities suffer when “marauders and criminals [have] free rein.”
A Growing Divide in the Church
Strickland’s public challenge comes amid rising global tension within the Church regarding doctrine, pastoral practice, and the meaning of evangelization in an age marked by radical moral confusion. His intervention reflects the frustration of many Catholics who fear that silence or ambiguity from Church leaders is causing deep spiritual harm.
Whether or not Church authorities respond to Strickland’s rebuke remains to be seen. But his message, amplified by sharp biblical imagery and direct accusations, signals a widening gap between bishops who advocate for bold moral clarity and leaders who emphasize accompaniment without conditions.
For now, his words stand as a stark warning: “No brothers, HOW DARE YOU inflict harm on the little ones over and over again??” according to LifeSiteNews.
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