The Vatican defrocked pro-life priest Father Frank Pavone this week for what it claimed were “blasphemous” social media posts and alleged disobedience to his bishop, but he has vowed to continue exposing abortion, Democrats, and “the Swamp.”
In a letter to American bishops from the Vatican ambassador to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre explained the decision was made in early November and “there was no chance for an appeal,” the Associated Press (AP) reported Sunday.
In a social media post-Saturday evening, Pavone said, “We have only just begun exposing #abortion, exposing the Democrats, exposing the Swamp (in both the state & the church).”
“One of the tactics of them all is that they think they can get away with their evil and shut the rest of us up. Wow, have they underestimated their opponents!” he continued:
We have only just begun exposing #abortion, exposing the Democrats, exposing the Swamp (in both the state & the church).
One of the tactics of them all is that they think they can get away with their evil and shut the rest of us up.
Wow, have they underestimated their opponents!— Fr. Frank Pavone (@frfrankpavone) December 18, 2022
In a subsequent post, Pavone wrote that in every profession, if one defends the unborn “you will be treated like them! The only difference is that when we are ‘aborted,’ we continue to speak, loud and clear.”
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.— Fr. Frank Pavone (@frfrankpavone) December 18, 2022
Several of Pavone’s followers offered their support, one person writing, “Father as a cancelled priest, I feel what you feel, but in the end our rewards for standing up for the Truth, for Christ and His Church will be eternal happiness with Our Lord and Blessed Mother.”
“You are in my prayers! God bless and keep you in His Care!” the user continued.
“Love and prayers coming your way Father Pavone… God sees everything and He wins in the end… less of all of us …more of Him,” another commented.
Meanwhile, the AP report said the then-Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, investigated Pavone after he put an aborted baby on an altar and shared a video of it online in 2016.
The outlet continued:
In his letter, Pierre cited information from the Congregation for Clergy that Pavone had been laicized — he can no longer present himself as a priest — after being found guilty in a canonical proceeding “of blasphemous communications on social media and of persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop.” The letter was first reported by Catholic News Agency.
Pavone was reportedly given opportunities to defend himself and submit to his bishop.
In July 2020, Pavone, who is the founder of Priests for Life and a Breitbart News contributor, stepped down from advisory positions in Trump’s reelection campaign to comply with instructions from “competent ecclesiastical authority,” according to Breitbart News.
