Abortion Activist Father Frank Pavone Suspended Over Financial Accusations

If you know the name Father Frank Pavone, it's probably from when he infested our television screens every night as the "spiritual adviser" and "Godly spokesman" for the comatose Terry Shiavo. Following that bit of limelight hogging, Pavone recast himself as the nation's most virulent Catholic in the battle against abortion rights, often appearing shoulder-to-shoulder with the murderous loons of Operation Rescue. (Pavone is "credited" by some for the idea of waving placards featuring bloody dismembered fetuses.)

Pavone is now the national director for Priests For Life, an anti-abortion group with a reported annual donation base in excess of ten million dollars. And whoopsie, his bishop just suspended him for (among other things) suspected financial "mismanagement" of those millions.

Via Catholic News Service:

Father Frank Pavone, one of the country's most visible and vocal opponents of abortion, has been suspended from active ministry outside the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, over financial questions about his operation of Priests for Life. The suspension was made public in a Sept. 9 letter from Amarillo Bishop Patrick J. Zurek to his fellow bishops across the country, but Father Pavone told Catholic News Service that he was returning to Amarillo and planned to continue functioning as a priest there. "My decision is the result of deep concerns regarding his stewardship of the finances of the Priests for Life (PFL) organization," Bishop Zurek wrote. "The PFL has become a business that is quite lucrative which provides Father Pavone with financial independence from all legitimate ecclesiastical oversight." Bishop Zurek said "persistent questions and concerns" from clergy and laity about how the "millions of dollars in donations" the organization has received are being spent led to the action.

Pavone has a show on the Catholic cable network EWTN, which is already distancing themselves:

“EWTN is aware of reports that Bishop Patrick Zurek of the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, has recalled Fr. Frank Pavone and restricted his faculties to function as a priest outside of that diocese. EWTN is in ongoing conversations with both the Diocese of Amarillo and Father Pavone to clarify the exact nature of the restrictions and their potential impact on EWTN’s ability to continue to air programming featuring Fr. Frank. ‘While these discussions are continuing, the network encourages our EWTN family to keep this matter in your prayers.”

But Operation Rescue is standing behind their hero.

The attack on the good name of Priests for Life and Fr. Frank Pavone in particular is shocking to say the least. Priests for Life's books are a matter of public record. I would expect this kind of slanderous attack from someone at Planned Parenthood or NARAL, but not from a bishop in the Church. This is a very sad day for the innocent unborn. We have labored alongside Fr. Frank throughout the years and know him to be a humble yet determined and faithful man of the highest integrity.