Catholic Bishop Joseph Strickland Wins National Pro-Life Award for Fighting Abortion

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 6, 2023   |   4:56PM   |   Washington, DC

A Catholic bishop who called Joe Biden a “fake Catholic” for supporting abortion and who denied communion to Nancy Pelosi for endorsing abortion will receive an award from a national pro-life group.

Earlier this year, Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Texas called out Joe Biden, saying he’s a “fake Catholic” for falsely claiming the Catholic Church supports abortion.

Biden lied to a Catholic reporter and falsely claimed the nation’s Catholic bishops do not oppose forcing Americans to fund abortions even though the Catholic Church has a longstanding pro-life position against tax-funded abortions.

Strickland said he was engaging in “fake Catholocism.”

“Mr. Biden can’t be allowed to twist the words of Pope Francis in this way,” Strickland tweeted. “I implore the Vatican press office to emphatically clarify that Pope Francis rightly calls abortion murder. It is time to denounce Biden’s fake Catholicism.”

Last year, Strickland banned pro-abortion Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving communion in his diocese “until she repents and stops advocating the murder of children.”

“Pray for her heart to be turned to God & away from the power of this world,” the bishop added.

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The bishop of Tyler, Texas said Pelosi also is barred from Communion in his diocese.

“The concern for Mrs Pelosi’s eternal salvation extends to the Diocese of Tyler. She is barred from Communion here until she repents & stops advocating the murder of children. Pray for her heart to be turned to God & away from the power of this world,” the bishop said then.

Now, Priests for Life  and the National Pro-Life Religious Council today announced the winners of the 2024 National Pro-Life Recognition Awards to be presented on Friday, Jan. 19 in Washington, D.C., the day of the annual March for Life.

Strickland and the National Pro-Life Religious Council today announced the winners of the 2024 National Pro-Life Recognition Awards to be presented on Friday, Jan. 19 in Washington, D.C., the day of the annual March for Life. Both winners are Texas natives.

“We are so grateful for your witness to the sanctity of life,” Priests for Life National Director Frank Pavone told the bishop as he announced the award winners in a video today.

“I couldn’t be honored more than to be honored for respecting the precious gift of life that God has given us,” the bishop said. “I truly believe the sanctity of life is the issue of our time.”

Priests for Life Executive Director Janet Morana said the second award would go to Dickson, a “young, dynamic pro-life leader,” who has been traveling around the country as cities, towns and counties work to declare themselves safe spaces for the unborn.

“It’s a great honor,” Dickson said. “We all have to work together to end abortion in America, and we couldn’t do the Sanctuary City initiative without the help of great organizations like Priests for Life.