Frank Pavone, antiabortionist head of Priests for Life, dismissed from priesthood by the Vatican for ‘blasphemous communications’ and disobedience

essentialsaltes · Dec 19, 2022

The Vatican has stripped high-profile Catholic leader and antiabortion activist Frank Pavone of the priesthood, spurring further discord within the antiabortion movement in the wake of the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Pavone was censured for “blasphemous communications on social media, and of persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop,” according to a letter from Pope Francis’s representative to the United States obtained by the New York Times.

Pavone, the national director of the group Priests for Life, has addressed the crowds at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., and sits on the board of directors for the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL). He also is a religious adviser to former president Donald Trump and has publicly questioned the results of the 2020 election.

“Father Frank Pavone has been nothing but honest, courageous and faithful to the ProLife cause from my perspective,” the NACL’s president, Jason Rapert, wrote in a message to The Post. “By what legitimate authority does the Vatican attempt to strip this man of his ministry anyway?”

Uh, the Pope? Isn't he like the Elon Musk of the Vatican?

Always in His Presence · Dec 19, 2022

He lost his career for videoing the remains of a dead aborted child laying on a table.

essentialsaltes · Dec 19, 2022

hislegacy said:
He lost his career for videoing the remains of a dead aborted child laying on a table.

I bet most HR departments would frown at that.

RocksInMyHead · Dec 19, 2022

hislegacy said:
He lost his career for videoing the remains of a dead aborted child laying on a table.

Considering that happened in 2016 (and it was an altar, not just a "table"), I doubt it was the only reason.

Simcha Fisher: Fr Pavone and sacrificing the truth on the altar of victory | The Catholic Weekly

Simcha Fisher: the goal does not justify obscenity, and Fr Frank Pavone should know that

www.catholicweekly.com.au

RocksInMyHead · Dec 19, 2022

Some perspective on the issue: The Frank Pavone story is not about abortion

Michie · Dec 19, 2022

Canon lawyer on Pavone's dismissal from priesthood: Only the Pope can issue a decision without appeal

Many canon law questions remain unanswered regarding the dismissal of Frank Pavone from the priesthood. CNA reached out to Fr. Gerald Murray, JCD for insight.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Ignatius the Kiwi · Dec 19, 2022

The only political advocates the Vatican likes are the Fr James Martin and German synod types, the ones who actively go against Catholic and Christian teaching. They are to be tolerated, respected and engaged with. Others, like Frank Pavone are to be dealt with the utmost severity.

RocksInMyHead · Dec 19, 2022

Ignatius the Kiwi said:
The only political advocates the Vatican likes are the Fr James Martin and German synod types, the ones who actively go against Catholic and Christian teaching. They are to be tolerated, respected and engaged with. Others, like Frank Pavone are to be dealt with the utmost severity.

From the article I linked:

I’ve seen many, some quite imprudently, compare Pavone’s situation to Jesuit Father James Martin. The comparison made is that the Vatican salutes Father Martin for talking about LGBT issues but punishes Pavone for advocating on behalf of the unborn. It’s not that simple. For one, Father Martin is presumably operating with the permission of his religious superior. And the Vatican bureaucracies do not see things as black and white as we might. At the same time, Frank Pavone was not punished because he played a role in ending Roe. He got himself in trouble for not being transparent and wanting to be an independent actor — that’s not the priesthood — and doing some of it quite publicly.

Ignatius the Kiwi · Dec 19, 2022

RocksInMyHead said:
From the article I linked:

Doesn't change anything I've said. The Vatican prefers Fr James Martin and gives him license to essentially advocate against official Catholic teaching. Instead of censuring him or punishing him in anyway, he is approved of by the hierarchy.

Always in His Presence · Dec 19, 2022

RocksInMyHead said:
Considering that happened in 2016 (and it was an altar, not just a "table"), I doubt it was the only reason.

Simcha Fisher: Fr Pavone and sacrificing the truth on the altar of victory | The Catholic Weekly

Simcha Fisher: the goal does not justify obscenity, and Fr Frank Pavone should know that

www.catholicweekly.com.au

It was a table in his office that they used occasionally for communion. It was not the altar in the Catholic Church.

It also seems to be a clash between him and another member of the clergy that holds a higher position.

Michie · Dec 19, 2022

hislegacy said:
It was a table in his office that they used occasionally for communion. It was not the altar in the Catholic Church.

It also seems to be a clash between him and another member of the clergy that holds a higher position.

Long-standing feud with the bishop in Amarillo.

ThatRobGuy · Dec 19, 2022

essentialsaltes said:
“By what legitimate authority does the Vatican attempt to strip this man of his ministry anyway?”

Uh, the Pope? Isn't he like the Elon Musk of the Vatican?

I believe it was the old Dennis Leary joke...

"What do you expect from a organization whose authority system is based on the size of hats?

The bigger the hat, the more important the guy, right? Priests have no hats, cardinals have those little red beanies, the pope has a collection of big hats... God must have a HUGE sombrero up in heaven"

RocksInMyHead · Dec 19, 2022

hislegacy said:
It was a table in his office that they used occasionally for communion. It was not the altar in the Catholic Church.

Seems like splitting hairs to me. It's dressed as an altar and it's used for the purposes that an altar is used for.

It also seems to be a clash between him and another member of the clergy that holds a higher position.

That was the bigger component, as I understand it. One of the vows that you take upon entering the Catholic priesthood is one of obedience to the Church. In a practical sense, this means that you obey your bishop (or the head of your order if you're an order priest - i.e. Jesuit/Dominican/etc), who in turn obeys the pope. If he tells you to stop doing something, you stop. If he tells you to go somewhere, you go. The only exception is if the order is immoral. Pavone disobeyed his bishop on a number of occasions, and eventually enough was enough.

Pommer · Dec 19, 2022

RocksInMyHead said:
Seems like splitting hairs to me. It's dressed as an altar and it's used for the purposes that an altar is used for.

Actual Catholic Church altars (usually) contain a reliquary (a small container in which bones of a saint of the Church reside), and are considered “Holy” unto themselves.

Michie · Dec 19, 2022

Pommer said:
Actual Catholic Church altars (usually) contain a reliquary (a small container in which bones of a saint of the Church reside), and are considered “Holy” unto themselves.

It’s a long standing tradition. Fr. Nix mentions this is a short 8&1/2 minute podcast.

Hans Blaster · Dec 19, 2022

Pommer said:
Actual Catholic Church altars (usually) contain a reliquary (a small container in which bones of a saint of the Church reside), and are considered “Holy” unto themselves.

Some churches have relics, sure (especially in the old world), but not all (especially in the new world). Surely they have run out of bones of "St. Mary" if they tried placing some in every so-dedicated church.

RocksInMyHead · Dec 19, 2022

Pommer said:
Actual Catholic Church altars (usually) contain a reliquary (a small container in which bones of a saint of the Church reside), and are considered “Holy” unto themselves.

I'm well aware that actual altars are consecrated as such, but again, splitting hairs as far as this issue is concerned. He has a table set up as an altar that he uses as an altar, which he used to display a dead fetus while still set up as an altar. Highly inappropriate on multiple levels, since he was using the video to make a political point.

But again, this happened in 2016, so it's definitely not the only reason why he got canned.

Fantine · Dec 23, 2022

Pavone had been found guilty in canonical proceedings of "blasphemous communications on social media" and of "persistent disobedience" of his bishop.
The 63-year-old former priest sparked fierce backlash in 2016 when he released a video in which he placed the body of an aborted fetus on an altar and urged Catholics not to vote for the Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton.
More recently, he has denied the 2020 U.S. presidential results and spread false lies that Joe Biden did not lawfully win the presidential election.
Pavone has regularly collaborated with the Trump administration and the Republican Party.
One day after news of his dismissal from the clerical state was announced, Pavone's social media accounts still contained photos of him with the former president and a photo of him wearing a clerical collar and one of Trump's "Make America Great Again" baseball caps.

Pro-life activist and Trump apologist Frank Pavone dismissed from Catholic priesthood

Prolife activist Frank Pavone has been dismissed from the priesthood, according to a Dec. 13 letter to U.S. bishops.

www.ncronline.org

I thought that I needed to look at a more progressive Catholic media organization to see why he might have been dismissed. It seems as if he and his organization were mainly involved in politics. (I didn't quote the financial mismanagement, which was also a big part of his problems.)

When I think about pro-life priests, I think more about priests in the trenches--not building up $10 million war chests. They honor life in all its stages, and they talk about issues, not candidates or parties.

Like St. Francis, they preach the Gospel using words only when necessary.

Two facts I have read over and over are: 1) 24% of women who have abortions identify as Catholic (America Magazine, 1/24/18)
and 2) about 50% of Catholic voters support Democrats.

And so instead of all the politicking pro-life priests need to preach the Gospel to Catholics, using words when necessary, and [hint, hint] it is infinitely easier to effectively demonstrate reverence for life by going out into the parish and the larger community and practicing the corporal works of mercy. Certainly support and counseling for pregnant women is a part of that--so long as it doesn't stop at birth or infancy.

Michie · Jan 3, 2023

Revealed: Zurek letter explained Pavone laicization plan

A 2017 letter to then-Father Frank Pavone warned the now-laicized leader of Priests for Life that his bishop had decided to ask the Vatican to dismiss him from the clerical state, and gave the priest an opportunity to request laicization of his own accord.

The letter said that Pavone had been consistently disobedient to ecclesiastical authorities, and had left Bishop Patrick Zurek of Amarillo with no hope of engaging constructively with Pavone.

“Because of your scandalous behavior, your involvement in partisan politics, your persistent disobedience, your lack of respect for legitimate ecclesial authority, control, and oversight, you leave me no choice than to ask you to present a petition to the Holy See for dispensation from all of the obligations of sacred ordination and return to the lay state,” the May 5, 2017 letter explained.

“If you choose not to petition for the dispensation… I will submit a petition to the Congregation for Clergy to request that the Roman Pontiff dismiss you from the clerical state ad poenam,” Zurek wrote.

The bishop’s letter sheds light on an announcement last month from U.S. apostolic nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre, who told bishops in a Dec. 13 memo that Pavone had been laicized. It also would appear to confirm The Pillar’s report that the laicization was conducted under the “special faculties II” provision of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy.

Continued below.

Zurek letter explained Pavone laicization plan

A 2017 letter to then-Father Frank Pavone warned the now-laicized leader of Priests for Life that his bishop had decided to ask the Vatican to dismiss him from the clerical state, and gave the priest an opportunity to request laicization of his own accord.

www.pillarcatholic.com

FireDragon76 · Jan 3, 2023

Ignatius the Kiwi said:
The only political advocates the Vatican likes are the Fr James Martin and German synod types, the ones who actively go against Catholic and Christian teaching. They are to be tolerated, respected and engaged with. Others, like Frank Pavone are to be dealt with the utmost severity.

Fr. James Martin isn't political campaigning by focusing on finding ways to include gay people in Catholic communities. He is also entitled to disagree with Church teaching on the basis of conscience, since there are no Church canons that say you aren't permitted to question Church teachings on non-dogmatic issues.

Putting a dead fetus on an altar is an exploitative use of a human body and it trivializes the concept of the sacred for ideological purposes.

Frank Pavone, antiabortionist head of Priests for Life, dismissed from priesthood by the Vatican for ‘blasphemous communications’ and disobedience

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