Bishop Daniel Fernandez Torres, who was removed from his Puerto Rico diocese in March, has been seeking a meeting with Pope Francis and an explanation for his ouster, the Pillar site reports.

Bishop Fernandez, who was relieved of his post after declining to resign voluntarily, has insisted that he has not received any explanation for the move. In a canonical appeal, he argues that the Vatican should follow the norms of canon law, which require that a bishop receive a trial on specific charges before being deprived of office.

Bishop Fernandez says that he was told he would be removed because he caused tensions within the Puerto Rican bishops’ conference, notably by refusing to sign a joint statement on “the moral duty to be vaccinated” against Covid.