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Pope Francis removes Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler in Texas, United States, due to his criticism of the Catholic Church's progressive views under Francis. Strickland is temporarily replaced by Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of the Diocese of Austin. The decision comes after Strickland declined to resign when asked to do so.
2023-11-11

Following a meeting with indigenous delegates from Canada, Pope Francis apologizes for the "deplorable conduct" by members of the Catholic Church for actions in the church-run residential school system.
2022-04-1

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, is sentenced to 12 months in detention for covering up child sexual abuse in the 1970s. Pope Francis appoints Port Pirie Bishop Gregory O'Kelly as Apostolic Administrator, but with special near-full powers to govern the Archdiocese, though for now Wilson is still the Archbishop.
2018-07-3

In a new apostolic exhortation, "Gaudete et Exsultate", Pope Francis mentions Satan or the Devil twelve times. Warning against Catholic media transgressing the eighth commandment, he calls to "see how the unguarded tongue, set on fire by hell, sets all things ablaze."
2018-04-9

Pope Francis intends to canonize two of the children who had visions at Fatima.
2017-05-10

Pope Francis calls for a worldwide ban on the death penalty and urges Christian leaders to work to stop executions as part of the church's Holy Year of Mercy.
2016-02-21

Pope Francis canonizes a record-breaking 800+ new Catholic Church saints - Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI had submitted the 813 "Martyrs of Otranto" who had been beheaded by Ottoman soldiers for refusing to convert to Islam.
2013-05-12

Pope Francis appoints a panel of nine high-ranking prelates from around the world to advise him of the running of the Catholic Church and advise him on the reform of the Vatican bureaucracy.
2013-04-13

Giving his first audience at the Vatican, Pope Francis tells journalists he wants "a poor Church, for the poor".
2013-03-16

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina is elected as the new pope, taking the papal name Pope Francis. He is the first pope of the Catholic Church from Latin America and the first Jesuit pope.
2013-03-13