I try to always be fair and practice due diligence when it comes to conflicts. Yesterday, I wrote about Fr. Pavone's dismissal from the priesthood. After doing more research, I think the story is more complicated. Phil Lawler wrote the article, Fr. Pavone's last stand linked below. I believe Lawler is a good and honest reporter with a solid track record. he wrote this article in 2011.
Father Pavone's last stand
Here's more about the 2011 situation from Catholic News Agency
Lawler did a follow-up article addressing Fr. Pavone's "suspension" by the bishop. Fr. Pavone was reinstated, but many questions remained unanswered.
What did the Vatican really decide in Father Pavone's case?
And now, ten years later what do we know about the situation of Priests for Life and the conflict with Bishop Zurek and the Vatican over these years. In 2020 Pavone resigned from positions with the Trump campaign obeying his superiors. What about now?
There are some who know Fr. Pavone well who dispute his version of the story. I'll be posting a video by Fr. Stephen Imbarrato later.
And for the record, I don't think Fr. Pavone should have been forcibly removed from the priesthood! But it's also true we don't have the full picture. I hate to think I would respond like people did immediately after the biased story about Nick Sandmann and the Covington High School teens at the March for Life in 2019.
Is Bishop Zurek really a "demonic" bad guy as some have said, or was he trying to rein in a priest who perhaps needed a little reining in?
On the other hand, I know too many priests who have appeared before kangaroo courts and received the heave-ho by bad bishops, and there isn't much out there indicating that Zurek is a hero. We have too many cancelled priests and they always seem to be those who adhere to intrinsic Catholic moral teachings.
And, of course, we have the defense of Fr. Pavone by Bishop Strickland who is definitely one of the good guys.
Catholic Bishop Condemns Vatican Dismissing Pavone: “The Blasphemy is This Holy Priest is Canceled”
What a tangle!
I'm watching for more developments at this point and praying for everyone involved.
One last thought. Whenever there's a lot of money involved you can be sure things get ugly and complicated very fast. How much of this is and has been over money raised by PFL?
The pro-life movement has become a religion in itself and a false religion at that.
ReplyDeletehttps://akacatholic.com/fr-pavones-picture-worth-1000-words/
Vatican One authorizes the pope to fire anybody for anything. Either live with it or go Orthodox. Becauae even in your Sede utopia if you ever got a pope he would Vatican One some of you too. Because power corrupts and papal power makes one possessed by Satan.
ReplyDeleteYou keep saying these things, Jason, without making a case. Unless you provide some data to back up your statements, I'm not posting any more "Vatican I was heretical" statements. I'm interested in a discussion, but statements without backup facts are not proof. So how did Vatincan I "authorize the pope to fire anybody for anything." There is no provision in canon law that allows that.
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of Fr. Haley... I wonder what happened to him?
ReplyDeleteIs am with Bp Strickland.
ReplyDeleteI listened to Fr. Pavone's roughly 90-minute video today. I still stand with him. We need to know the specific reasons! But, as with the four Cardinals' Dubia, this Pope is silent. When told I need to pray for a new Pope, I wonder, "Be careful what you wish for." I pray for a pope like Leo XIII, Pius XI and B16. (Strickland for Pope!!!)
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