The Vatican has cut ties with Frank Pavone, who condemned “supporters of this goddamn loser Biden” and threatened to withhold absolution from Democratic voters.
The Vatican has cut its canonical ties with Priests for Life head Frank Pavone, following years of virulent and aggressive anti-abortion work and his support of former President Donald Trump, according to a letter made public over the weekend. A representative for Pope Francis wrote that Pavone was “found guilty in canonical proceedings of blasphemous communications on social media, and of persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop.” Spicy!
The letter does not explicitly mention which posts were the “blasphemous communications” in question, but I can make an educated guess: In 2020, Pavone condemned “supporters of this goddamn loser Biden and his morally corrupt, America-hating, God hating Democrat party.” Pavone also threatened to withhold absolution from Democratic voters. (In Catholicism, absolution is given from God, via a priest, in the confessional. Pavone’s diocese condemned those actions and urged members to pray for him.)
You might also recognize the name Pavone from an unhinged incident in 2016, in which he released a video just before election day telling Catholics to not vote for Hillary Clinton by putting a supposed aborted fetus on the altar. “My followers agree that the truth about abortion has to be seen, because the word has lost all its meaning,” Pavone said in a statement at the time. “We sanitize it.”
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo opened an investigation into Pavone’s actions afterward. Pavone remained a spiritual adviser to Donald Trump and was connected to the campaign until 2020, Catholic News Agency reported.
The laicization decision was made on Nov. 9, according to a letter from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S. There will be no appeal. (The Associated Press has embedded the entire letter here.) A statement approved by the Dicastery for the Clergy and released by Pierre described the situation thusly:
“Rev. Frank Pavone, the founder of the organization, Priests for Life, Inc., was dismissed from the clerical state by the Holy See on 9 November 2022. This action was taken after Father Pavone was found guilty in canonical proceedings of blasphemous communications on social media, and of persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop.
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. It was determined that Father Pavone had no reasonable justification for his actions.
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.
Pavone told the Catholic News Agency (which broke the news of his dismissal) that he had not been notified about the sacking. However, despite losing his priestly collar, Pavone will stay on with Priests for Life, according to a tweet. Pavone assured his followers that he “will not be silenced or canceled.”
So, can anyone provide evidence that this hate-mongering asshat is preaching the words of the Christian Jesus? Is there an actual defense? I’m sure the more far-right of fake Jesus followers’ will chime in with their non-Jesus-y opinions… but, how about actual Christians? Do you agree or disagree with this Frank Pavone’s hateful rhetoric?
Do you agree or disagree with the Catholic church’s decision to defrock this hate-mongering shitbag?