Fr. Frank Pavone has been Dismissed from Priestly Ministry by a Vatican Dicastery as Revealed in a Letter


Father Frank Pavone, age 63, the director of Priests for Life, has been dismissed from the clerical state according to reports. In December 13th letter to U.S. bishops which was obtained by Catholic News Agency and confirmed by multiple sources as authentic, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, wrote that the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy issued the decision on November 9th, adding that there was “no possibility of appeal.” 


Fr. Pavone has recently Tweeted about this action taken against him: 
 “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. 


 The statement refers to Pavone as “Mr. Pavone” and calls him “a lay person,”  revealing the immediate type of the Vatican’s action. He is a supporter of former president Donald Trump. Pavone served on official Trump campaign outreach positions in 2016, and was originally a co-chair of Trump's 2020 pro-life coalition, as well as an advisory board member of Catholics for Trump. Canon law (285) forbids clerics from having an active role in political parties unless they receive the permission of their bishop. In November 2016, Pavone filmed a video at the Priests for Life headquarters, calling all to vote for Trump. The video was displayed the body of an aborted baby laid before Pavone on what appeared to be an altar.
After that a statement from Bishop Patrick J. Zurek was released on November 8, 2016: Priests for Life, Inc., is not a Catholic institution, but a civil organization, and it is not under the control or supervision of the Diocese of Amarillo. • Father Frank Pavone has posted a video on his Facebook page of the body of an aborted fetus, which is against the dignity of human life and is a desecration of the altar. We believe that no one who is pro-life can exploit a human body for any reason, especially the body of a fetus. • The Diocese of Amarillo deeply regrets the offense and outrage caused by the video for the faithful and the community at large. The action and presentation of Father Pavone in this video is not consistent with the beliefs of the Catholic Church. • The Diocese of Amarillo is opening an investigation about all these matters.
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According to NCR Pavone Tweeted: that the then Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was a “[expletive] loser” and said the Democratic party was “God-hating” and “America-hating” and that Biden’s supporters “can’t say a [expletive] thing in support of their loser candidate without using the word Trump.” “What the hell do you have to say for yourselves, losers?” Pavone wrote. Pavone also reportedly explained that he would hear the confession of a Catholic who votes Democrat, “but we are trained that in the absence of repentance, absolution has to be withheld.”
 
In 2020, the Diocese of Amarillo issued a Statement Regarding Father Frank Pavone; Diocese of Amarillo in regard to Father Frank Pavone. Recently Father Frank Pavone has posted a variety of messages and statements in regard to the General Elections in November, 2020. These postings on Social Media as videos concern the serious sinfulness of voting for candidates of a particular political party (with refusal of absolution if confessed) and the use of scandalous words not becoming of a Catholic priest. These postings are not consistent with Catholic Church Teachings. Neither the Catholic Church nor the Diocese of Amarillo condone any of these messages. Please disregard them and pray for Father Pavone.
Fr. Pavone has summarized all the actions taken against his ministry in a document: https://www.frfrankpavone.com/pdf/ComboSummarypdf.pdf
Sources: NCR and CNA - Diocese of Amarillo and Fr. Pavone's Twitter

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