In a shocking turn of events, the Vatican has dismissed pro-life leader Father Frank Pavone from the Catholic priesthood. The decision will certainly anger pro-life Catholics who respect Pavone and appreciate his decades of service to the pro-life movement via Priests for Life.
The decision comes on the heels of Pope Francis facing criticism for putting an abortion advocate on the Pontifical Academy for Life, claiming that giving an abortion support a Catholic Church platform helps “dialog.”
In a December 13 letter to the Catholic bishops in the United States, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre wrote that the Dicastery for the Clergy issued the decision to defrock Pavone on November 9 — supposedly for “blasphemous communications on social media” and “persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop.”
There is reportedly no ability to appeal the decision.
As the Catholic News Agency reported:
“Father Pavone was given ample opportunity to defend himself in the canonical proceedings, and he was also given multiple opportunities to submit himself to the authority of his diocesan bishop,” explains a separate statement attached to Archbishop Pierre’s letter. “It was determined that Father Pavone had no reasonable justification for his actions.”
Pavone, however, told CNA Saturday that he had not been notified about the Vatican’s judgment.
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The communication from Archbishop Pierre does not specify the actions that led to Pavone’s dismissal or name the bishop he disobeyed.
The statement refers to Pavone as “Mr. Pavone” and calls him “a lay person,” underscoring the dramatic and immediate nature of the Vatican’s action.
“Since Priests for Life, Inc. is not a Catholic organization, Mr. Pavone’s continuing role in it as a lay person would be entirely up to the leadership of that organization,” the statement says.
Despite the supposed pronouncement, Father Pavone is still saying Mass and the Priests for Life web site indicates he is a Catholic priest in good standing.
Pavone told CNA he was shocked by the news and indicated the Vatican had not informed him.
Pavone started parish work on Long Island decades ago.
“I loved it. I love parish work. I was assigned to St. Charles on Staten Island, a very large parish of 3,000 families. We had a school 600 students right there on the property and it was great. I had a great pastor; there was an associate and then a retired pastor. So it was the four of us, we had three deacons. That’s a great pastoral team,” he said.
One of the most recent events Pavone organized was a day of mourning for the baby killed in a live abortion on NPR.
“Pro-life leaders have named the child Baby Amanda Marie and we are asking every pro-life individual, organization and lawmaker to mark the day with fasting and special prayers, including Masses,” said Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life. “These actions can be done privately, but the more they are done in common, with groups, the better.”
“The recording picks up the moans of the mother, but her child’s scream is silent,” Father Pavone said.
“The staffer with the mom says ‘You did it,’ and ‘You did great,’ when the killing was complete. There is no mention of the baby who has just died in a brutal way at 11 weeks. The baby’s humanity is not even an afterthought. We have to re-humanize what this abortion and this broadcast de-humanized,” Father Pavone said. “And we have to make a big deal of what this broadcast trivialized.”
