CTA Supports Vatican Decision to Dismiss Anti-Abortion Activist Frank Pavone

Call To Action condemns Frank Pavone and his violent anti-abortion ministry, which promotes single-minded extremism in direct opposition to our mission as Catholics. Dismissing Pavone from his clerical role is long overdue.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

On December 17, Catholic News Agency reported that the Vatican laicized Frank Pavone, a right-wing activist known for his extremist positions on abortion. Although the Vatican has yet to release a clear reasoning for Pavone’s laicization, a letter to U.S. bishops, obtained by CNA, cited Pavone’s “blasphemous communications on social media” and “persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop.”

For nearly 30 years, Pavone led Priests for Life (PFL), a civil organization dedicated to outlawing legal abortion. Through his “ministry,” Pavone spread dangerous misinformation about reproductive health, including distorted graphic images, in order to mobilize Catholics against legal abortion. Pavone and PFL frequently targeted abortion providers and supported groups that incited violence against providers and their patients. In recent years, Pavone served as an advisor to former President Donald J. Trump. Pavone maintained his support for Trump during and after the Jan. 6 insurrection and appeared to endorse the Stop the Steal movement. On January 13th, PFL released a statement pledging nonviolence—a pledge that came a little too late.

Call To Action condemns Pavone and his single-minded extremism that promotes values in direct opposition to Catholic Social Teaching. Dismissing Pavone from his clerical role is long overdue. CTA applauds Pope Francis for taking this action to curtail Pavone’s dangerous ministry. This is yet another indicator that the Vatican does not endorse the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and its myopic political strategies that place abortion above all other social justice issues. 

While we recognize defrocking Pavone was the right call, we do not believe laicization is used appropriately in many cases. Men and women religious have received the same punishment–or faced censure and threats of excommunication–for standing up to the various cases of abuses perpetuated by the Catholic hierarchy. Whistleblowers and survivor advocates in the clerical sexual abuse scandals continue to be targeted for their courageous acts. Furthermore, male clergy and women religious have been excommunicated, or forbidden to minister and perform their duties as Catholics, for publicly dissenting to the hierarchy’s draconian stances on moral theology. 

As Catholics–lay, clergy, and women religious alike–we are all called to live out the Gospels. Pavone and his violent, deceptive, and increasingly nationalist ministry have no place in our church or society.