Pope Francis has dismissed US bishop Joseph Strickland, a conservative critic of his papacy. The Vatican made the rare decision to remove a senior Catholic figure from his post after sending two bishops to Strickland's Texas diocese in June. Strickland, appointed by former Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, has been critical of Pope Francis, accusing him of undermining the Catholic faith. The Vatican has not provided details on the apostolic visitation or the reasons for the dismissal.