January 18-19, 2024
Dear parishioners,
You might remember that I wrote a bulletin article last year giving a summary of the drama surrounding Archbishop Viganò, the former apostolic nuncio to the United States. In that article, I ultimately highlighted how the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith was very justified in decreeing Archbishop Viganò’s excommunication for committing acts of schism. He openly and publicly denied the validity of the Second Vatican Council, and denied that Pope Francis is validly the pope. Additionally, he refused to rescind these remarks, leaving the Holy See with no other option than to declare his excommunication. This was clearly a “textbook” case of the canonical delict of schism.
In recent years, there have been a few other ecclesiastical figures in the United States who have caused a public stir in the media because of the precarious canonical situations they have gotten themselves into. I was reminded of one a few weeks ago when one of his videos was auto-suggested in my YouTube feed: Fr. Frank Pavone. You might remember that Pavone, the outspoken and controversial pro-life advocate, was laicized (removed from the clerical state) in December of 2022. Since that time, Pavone has consistently claimed that he has done nothing wrong, and that he is somehow the victim of church politics, claiming that he was laicized for being “too-prolife.” I will admit that curiosity got the better of me and I clicked on the video in my YouTube feed, and sure enough, he made the same claim in it. However, the honest truth is that no priest would ever be laicized for being “too pro-life,” and Mr. Pavone (“Fr.” is no longer used after laicization) conveniently leaves out the important details which led to his being dismissed from the clerical state.
Here are a few details to consider regarding Pavone’s case: In 1993, Pavone was given permission from his bishop, Cardinal O’Connor of New York, to leave parish ministry and dedicate himself full-time to the organization Priests For Life. From 1999-2006, at least two claims of sexual harassment were made against Pavone. In 2005, after disagreements with his bishop, Cardinal Egan, Pavone transferred to the diocese of Amarillo, Texas. In 2008, major concerns were brought forward about financial transparency of Priests For Life, causing diocesan investigations. From 2009-2010, several more reports of sexual harassment were alleged against Pavone. In 2011, Pavone was restricted by his bishop, Bishop Zurek, from any ministry outside of Amarillo. In 2014, Bishop Zurek asked Pavone to cease broadcasting on any type of media, a restriction that Pavone simply ignored as he continued producing live streams, podcasts, and broadcasting Masses. Also in 2014, Pavone refused to implement the requested financial reforms for Priests For Life; Cardinal Dolan thereby noted that he wanted “nothing further to do with the organization.”
In 2016, Pavone starting being overtly politically partisan in his media videos. One such infamous incident was when he placed an aborted baby on the altar of a church right before the elections that year. This was not only egregious, it was also sacrilegious. By the end of the same year, Pavone was informed that he did not have faculties to publicly celebrate sacraments or wear clerical garb. He disobeyed both orders publicly on a daily basis. In the following years, Pavone committed more acts of public disobedience to his bishop, which ultimately resulted in his laicization in 2022.
I mention all of the above because Pavone has caused a lot of confusion in the wake of his laicization. As he continues to make videos and push his own narrative, it is easy for people to be misinformed. Sometimes I hear people talk about Pavone, or other similar figures, and they are convinced of his claims that he was a victim. Hopefully the above information helps to clarify the truth of the situation to the contrary. Placing a personal ministry over the promise of obedience that he made to his bishop when he was ordained, and continually refusing to conform to legitimate instructions, is what rightly led to his laicization.
Let me know if you have any questions in this regard.
Blessings,
Fr. Ammanniti
