Frank Pavone | |
|---|---|
| National director, Priests for Life | |
 Pavone speaking at an event | |
| Other post(s) | Catholic priest (1988–2022) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | November 12, 1988 by Cardinal John O'Connor |
| Laicized |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frank Anthony Pavone February 4, 1959 Port Chester, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Anti-abortion activist[1] |
| Education | |
Frank Anthony Pavone (born February 4, 1959) is an American anti-abortion activist and secularized Catholic priest.[2] He is the national director of Priests for Life and the chairman and pastoral director of its Rachel's Vineyard project. He is also the president of the National Pro-Life Religious Council, an umbrella group of various anti-abortion Christian denominations, and the pastoral director of the Silent No More campaign.
The Vatican defrocked Frank Pavone, the head of the anti-abortion group Priests for Life, for the following reasons: Blasphemous social media posts, Disobedience of his bishop, and was found guilty in a canonical proceeding.
The Vatican's decision was made on November 9, 2022, and there is no appeal. Pavone can no longer present himself as a priest.
Pavone's anti-abortion activism was not cited as the reason for his dismissal. However, he has been involved in other controversies, including: In 2011, Pavone's nonprofit Priests for Life came under scrutiny for failing to disclose financial details. In 2016, Pavone presented a live video in which he appeared with what he claimed was the body of an unclothed aborted fetus. In February 2023, Pavone was asked to step down as national director of Priests for Life after allegations were released that he sexually harassed multiple women.
The process of removing a priest from their role as a member of the clergy is called forced laicization, or "defrocking". It is one of the harshest sanctions in the church's law.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
dailycatholicwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Winfield, Nicole (18 December 2022). "Anti-abortion priest Pavone defrocked for blasphemous posts". Associated Press. Retrieved 18 December 2022.