Father Frank Pavone, firework activist for life who caused controversy on the issue in the church, was removed from the priesthood this fall.
Pavone was officially suspended from the clergy on November 9 after receiving a letter from Representative of Pope Francis in the USA, according to the New York Times. The letter states that Pavone was removed from his post without the possibility of an appeal.
“This action comes after Father Pavone was found guilty in canonical proceedings of blasphemous social media posts and of flagrant disobedience to the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop,” the letter said, without elaborating on the reports.
In an interview with the Catholic News Agency on Saturday, Pavone said he had not received any communication from the Vatican. Still, he wasn’t surprised.
“I was persecuted in the church for decades, decades. This is nothing new to me,” he told CNA. “They just don’t like the work I do for these kids.”
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Father Frank Pavone, left, celebrates a Catholic mass for attendees of the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida on February 27, 2021.
(SOPA Images/Contributor via Getty Images)
VATICAN CITY – 2021/12/19: Pope Francis greets and blesses children assisted by the Vatican’s Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary in Paul VI Hall. (Photo by Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
((Photo by Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images))
He went on to mention the circumstances of his “blasphemous communication”, saying that in 2020 he had tweeted the world “to hell”.
“I used the word GD in response to someone on Twitter and for that they want to throw me out of the priesthood,” he said.
Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the pope’s representative in the United States, alerted American bishops to the decision on Dec. 13, the Times reported.
“As you know, Father Pavone was a very public and high-profile figure associated with the right-to-life movement in the United States,” Archbishop Pierre told the bishops. “Thus, his dismissal from the priesthood may be a matter of interest among the faithful. In anticipation of such potential interest, the attached statement regarding Father Pavon is provided for your information.”
Protesters march and gather near the state capitol after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in Austin, Texas. Medical professionals have sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for allegedly threatening to prosecute abortion providers.
(AP)
Pavon’s acquittal comes months after the pro-life movement in the US scored a landmark victory when the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
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The provision thrust abortion into the spotlight during the 2022 midterm elections, which many commentators say actually helped Democrats.
