The Vatican Dismisses Pro-Trump Priest for Blasphemous Posts on Social Media

U.S. Catholic priest Father Frank Pavone has been a very controversial figure, butting heads with the Vatican over various issues. Now, the Vatican has defrocked the controversial anti-abortion U.S. priest for blasphemy, as well as "persistent disobedience."

According to the Associated Press, Pavone was defrocked because he posted "blasphemous communications on social media." He also repeatedly disobeyed the Vatican's orders when they repeatedly told him to cease his partisan activism for Donald Trump.

The Vatican ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Christophe Pierre, sent a letter to U.S. bishops about the decision regarding the controversial priest. The letter stated that he has no chance to appeal his removal.

Father Frank Pavone has become a very well-known figure in the American political right, being a well-known pro-life activist and national director of the organization Priests for Life. His activism has led him to publicly endorse Trump during the 2020 presidential elections, but this did not go well with the Vatican.

Dismissed Pro-Trump Priest Remains Defiant

Following the announcement of his dismissal, Pavone remained defiant, taking to social media to compare his punishment to the fate of the unborn.

"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," he wrote.

However, according to The Guardian, The Vatican had already provided Pavone with "ample opportunity to defend himself" on multiple occasions. The statement about his dismissal also concluded that since Priests for Life is not a Catholic organization, he could continue his role as its head "as a layperson."

In the Catholic Church's canon law, Laicisation, or losing priesthood and becoming a layperson, is regarded as one of the harshest punishments for any priest. This is noted as Pavone continued disobeying the Vatican's warnings about his social media posts, as well as his disobedience about his pro-Trump activism, as priests are not allowed to get involved in partisan politics.

Dismissed Pro-Trump Priest Had Clashes With Catholic Church Hierarchy

According to the Catholic News Agency (CNA), Pavone used to host the show "Defending Life" on EWTN for several years. However, the bishop of Amarillo, Texas, revoked Pavone's permission to appear on the Network.

The priest had been at odds with Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, who was the same Amarillo Bishop who revoked his permission to appear on the EWTN show. It was Pavone's political activism that spelled trouble for the diocese of Amarillo, as Pavone actively served on the Trump campaign, even serving as the co-chair of Trump's 2020 pro-life coalition, as well as an advisory board member of Catholics for Trump.

This led to Pavone's initial suspension, which was later overturned by the Vatican. However, the trouble truly came in 2016 when Pavone posted a blasphemous video on social media where the body of an aborted baby was placed on the altar while the priest urged support for Trump.

Bishop Surek called Pavone's actions "against the dignity of human life" and "a desecration of the altar." He added that the priest's actions in making the video are not "consistent with the beliefs of the Catholic Church."

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Written by: Rick Martin

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