You might have heard that Pope Francis removed a “conservative” Catholic bishop, Joseph Strickland, from his role as Bishop of Tyler. (This shortly after Francis silenced accusers and gave a parish to a priest infamous for blasphemous, ritual sexual abuse of nuns.) Those who defend any papal action, whatever it is (we call them “pope-splainers”) are rifling through trifling complaints by left-wing local Catholics about Bishop Strickland’s “pastoral” attitudes. Since Strickland broke no church law, and generated no scandals, these die-hards have no other choice. But in fact, it’s becoming painfully clear why Francis took the extraordinary step of firing one of his fellow bishops, in the absence of any wrongdoing.

And the real reason will shock any faithful Christian.

It might seem that Francis fired Strickland for being a genuine Catholic, and speaking openly about Francis’ ongoing abuse of faithful believers, and his promotion of sexual radicals who support the LGBT agenda. Strickland dared to quote a speech by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who openly asks if the pope’s new, false teachings throw into question his right to call himself a Catholic — and hence the pope.