‘Father’ Frank Pavone, the National Director of Priests for Life and high-profile pro-life advocate, has been defrocked from the priesthood by Pope Francis, according to the Catholic News Agency.
In a letter sent to US bishops by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Pavone was forced to hand in his clerical collar for “blasphemous communications on social media” and “persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop.” The decision is final, and there is no possibility of appealing it.
Though the letter did not give the exact reason for his dismissal, it was believed his social media posts played a role. He offered extensive political commentary, frequently against the wishes of his Bishop, openly supporting Trump and bashing the Democrats and their leaders. You don’t say things like this without making a few enemies:
In response to his ejection from the priesthood, he wrote on Twitter “Hi friends… So in every profession, including the priesthood, if you defend the #unborn, you will be treated like them! The only difference is that when we are “aborted,” we continue to speak, loud and clear.
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