US Priest Who Opposed Abortion and Engaged in Bizarre Political Behavior Ultimately Defrocked

Posting Blasphemous and Political Videos on SNS
Altar with Fetal Remains from 2016
Strong Support for Trump, Allegations of Election Fraud Raised

Former Priest Frank Pavone Dismissed for Blasphemy Photo by AP·Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A U.S. priest who opposes abortion was dismissed from the Catholic priesthood on charges of distributing a video showing a fetus's corpse placed on an altar in the past.

According to the AP and Reuters on the 18th (local time), the Vatican decided to dismiss Frank Pavone (63), head of 'Priests for Life,' on the 8th of last month, according to a letter sent by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, to U.S. bishops.

Pavone was dismissed on charges of posting blasphemous and political videos and writings on social networking services (SNS) and continuously disobeying the lawful orders of the diocesan bishop. There is no right to appeal.

A staunch anti-abortion advocate, he frequently clashed with senior priests due to his political activities, such as posting opinions on abortion and U.S. politics on SNS. In 2016, Pavone posted a video on SNS showing the corpse of an aborted fetus placed on an altar, which led to an investigation by the Amarillo Diocese in Texas.

In the controversial video, he claimed that if Hillary Clinton, then the Democratic presidential candidate, became president, abortion would continue in the U.S., while Donald Trump, then the Republican candidate, wanted to protect unborn children. A fervent supporter of former President Trump, Pavone also posted a photo on his Twitter profile wearing a hat with Trump's iconic slogan 'Make America Great Again (MAGA)' alongside a picture of Trump.

In the 2020 presidential election, after Trump, who was seeking re-election, lost to Joe Biden, then the Democratic candidate, Pavone raised allegations of election fraud. On Twitter, he insulted Biden's supporters as "damn loser Biden and morally corrupt Democrats who hate America and God." He also sparked controversy by stating that Catholic voters who voted for the Democratic Party should be denied confession.

Upon learning of his dismissal through media reports on the day, Pavone posted a video protesting on SNS. In the 1 hour and 40-minute video, he said, "I have been persecuted in the church for decades," and ridiculed his critics as "the dumbest people in the world."

He also claimed that he had not received official notification from the Vatican regarding his dismissal and criticized, "The Vatican talks to the media before talking to the priest." In the video, Pavone was wearing a Roman collar, the attire indicating his priestly status.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.