Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life is the latest high profile priest under public scrutiny. His duty under Church law includes preserving his own rights.
For about a year now, These Stone Walls has had a link to Priests for Life, one of the strongest and most vocal pro-life organizations with oversight from the Catholic Church. So when news began to circulate that Father Frank Pavone, director of Priests for Life since 1993, was “recalled” to his diocese – the Diocese of Amarillo – I paid attention, as did many.
Before commenting on the justice or injustice of what has occurred to date in this matter, however, I must comment on the context. It has become clear to me even from behind these stone walls that not all is as it seems. Generally, a matter such as this would generate some dialogue within the Church, perhaps even in the Catholic media, but that would be the extent of its interest. This matter between Father Frank Pavone and Amarillo Bishop Patrick Zurek, however, has also become fodder for comments in the secular media providing fuel for the speculation and controversy now surrounding Father Pavone.
What exactly is the controversy? Father Frank Pavone has been recalled to his diocese, the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, by his bishop. Father Pavone has been neither suspended nor disciplined for any cause. A Catholic News Service account included some clarification of this by Msgr. Harold Waldow, Vicar for Clergy in the Diocese of Amarillo:
“Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, remains a priest in good standing in the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas . . . Msgr. Harold Waldow told CNS that Bishop Patrick J. Zurek only suspended Father Pavone’s ministry outside of the diocese because the well-known pro-life priest is needed for work in Amarillo.”(Catholic News Service, Sept. 14,2011.)
But there remains some taint upon Father Pavone. This matter between a priest and his bishop has become a matter of public dispute, and that itself is a violation of Father Pavone’s rights under Church law. After writing a letter to the nation’s bishops describing his suspension of Father Pavone’s ministry outside his own diocese, the bishop reportedly released the letter publicly. That seems to be what sparked their differences thrusting this matter into a public forum, but without any clear allegation of wrongdoing.
Brian Fraga wrote an informative article about this in Our Sunday Visitor (“Pro-life priest ‘baffled’ by bishop’s shutdown,” OSV, October 2, 2011). He cited the broad support that has emerged for Father Pavone including from the Priests for Life Board of Directors, from the National Pro-Life Council, and other corners. Dr. Alveda King, niece of the late Rev. Martin Luther King and a staunch pro-life advocate, has released a powerfully supportive statement about Father Pavone and Priests for Life.
I have believed from the outset that the hype about all this has little to do with Father Frank Pavone and Bishop Zurek. It has to do with Priests for Life and its vocally Catholic pro-life stance. There is an agenda out there – an agenda with tentacles that have reached deeply into the arena of Catholic life – that would be encouraged by the diminishment or outright destruction of the Church’s pro-life ministry. In this entire matter, it is not only Father Pavone whose reputation is on the line. It is also the Church’s pro-life stance, consistently undermined by those who want compromise with a secular agenda in the culture war.
The demise of Priests for Life would be a great trophy for that agenda. I am no conspiracy theorist, but I can’t help notice that this story is unfolding nationally just as a Presidential Primary is taking shape, and the culture war is gearing up for battle.
A NOD TO SECULAR SABOTAGE
In a chapter entitled “Self-Sabotage: Catholicism” in his book, Secular Sabotage (Faith Words, 2009), Catholic League President Bill Donohue pointed out that dissent in the Church’s pro-life ministry is not as simple as some trendy left-wing Catholics promoting abortion. Very few people of even the remotest Christian persuasion actually promote abortion as a societal good. What Bill Donohue pointed out was something much more subtle. There is a growing consensus among left-wing Catholics that the Church has simply lost the battle for life and should just move on.
Please note here that I do not use the term “left-wing Catholics” in any derogatory sense. I spent much of my life and ministry squarely in that camp. So did Father Richard John Neuhaus and Cardinal Avery Dulles, two exemplary Churchmen to whose memory we have dedicated These Stone Walls. Their drift to the right is far more a story of their embracing the great adventure of orthodoxy to the Magisterial authority of the Church – an authority that took precedence for them above any trendy political ideology.
My own drift away from the left followed their same example. It marked the official end of my adolescence that the life of the Church took precedence over my own sometimes highly misinformed publicly dissenting points of view.
Part of the agenda among the more radical wing of the Catholic left has been to get about the business of removing any Magisterial authority from our faith experience. The goal is to carve out a distinctly American Catholic church with identifiably American Catholic values that mirror the now disintegrating American wing of the Church of England, the Episcopal church. But that’s a whole other blog post for some other day – such as next week, perhaps.
It’s time for American Catholic liberals to see and admit that their own views and causes are being hi-jacked by this radical wing. For them, organizations like Priests for Life are seen as an anachronistic hindrance to social progress. A nice little scandal undermining Priests for Life would be most welcomed in some circles right about now, not least among them some purportedly Catholic circles.
But there isn’t a scandal. Father Frank Pavone hasn’t been accused of anything, though I do worry about his extreme vulnerability. There are agendas at work even in our Church that would be bolstered by the destruction of Father Pavone, his career, and his reputation. That fact must be a part of the equation as Catholics evaluate this story. Father Frank Pavone first was a target long before he was a suspect.
I have a personal example of how this works right here at These Stone Walls. For over two years now, TSW has presented the views of a priest claiming to be falsely accused and wrongfully imprisoned. So much of what I have written has been in direct confrontation with the agendas and claims of victim groups like SNAP and Catholic “reform” groups like Voice of the Faithful. Some of my postings about the Catholic League report, “SNAP Exposed” have been confrontational. My three-part series, “When Priests Are Falsely Accused” made a very controversial case for why accusers should be named. Nothing flies in the face of the cult of victimhood like that particular point of view.
But very few people disagreed with me or attacked these statements and positions. At first, I wondered if these controversial posts were even noticed, but then I learned they were widely disseminated. Even the Spanish-language news network, Univision, posted links to “When Priests Are Falsely Accused” on their website, as did National Public Radio and many international secular sites. Very few people disagreed with me or attacked these posts.
The very worst attack – though a rather wimpy one – was a one-line comment from SNAP director, David Clohessy. Commenting on the Spero News version of my TSW post,”Are Civil Liberties for Priests Intact?” David Clohessy called me “a dangerous and demented man.” Maybe he didn’t read “Sticks and Stones: My Incendiary Blog Post on Catholic Civil Discourse.”
But in contrast to the lack of any real attacks on These Stone Walls was a barrage of nasty e-mail attacks when I posted a clearly pro-life article, “The Last Full Measure of Devotion: Civil Rights and the Right to Life” last January. I got clobbered. Some of the messages called me all sorts of names, denounced These Stone Walls, and denigrated those who assist me as its editors. It was perfectly okay with these people if I remind Catholics that some priests are falsely accused and some Americans are wrongly imprisoned. But how dare I use a Catholic blog to post a reasoned and thoughtful defense of the Catholic Church’s pro-life position and why it should not be compromised?
So that’s it then. I can write that a lot of men and women have committed fraud by falsely accusing Catholic priests of decades-old abuses. I can write that some of our bishops have been unwittingly complicit in this fraud and have left their priests vulnerable by blindly settling virtually every claim. I can even write that some of the purported “victims” are in fact criminals who should have their names and their claims exposed before any real due process and justice can take place. Not many on the left or right had much to say in response to any of that. But when I wrote about why abortion is a basic civil rights issue, some Catholics called me a “predator priest who should be silenced by the Church.” One writer called for prison officials to confiscate my typewriter.
It all reminded me of a troubling conversation I had with a prisoner two years ago. He was a career criminal; a gangster, a thief and a thug, who came to my door one day. “I have a question,” he said:
“Can you explain to me why all these Catholics can say they are protecting children when they scream about 30 or 40 year old claims of child abuse, but then have nothing to say about the fourteen million American babies sacrificed in abortions in just the last decade?”
It’s a hard question for which I have no answer. But I explained to him that no one in our Church will call him a gangster, a thief, or a thug unless he asks a question like that too loudly.
This was when I really came to admire Father Frank Pavone. I became aware of how visible the target on his back really is. As I wrote two weeks ago at the end of “Thy Brother’s Keeper,” I bow to Father Pavone’s faithful witness to both the truth and to his duty as a priest which is to preserve both his obligations and his rights under Church law. The bottom line is that anyone who thinks his bishop is going to protect his rights has not been paying attention in the last ten years.
BISHOPS AS PROSECUTORS
I cannot speak to the internal disagreements between Father Frank Pavone and Bishop Patrick Zurek. I know none of the details. But I can speak in a broader sense of the necessity for any priest in the current climate to preserve his rights under Church law. I can only relate some of what transpired with my own bishop in a canonical proceeding to shed light on some of what may be happening behind the scenes in the Diocese of Amarillo.
Father Pavone came under recent attack in some circles because his bishop scheduled a personal meeting which Father Pavone declined to attend. There were some people – some very well intentioned – who saw in this some shades of culpability on the part of Father Pavone, using it to cast suspicion on his own transparency and desire to cooperate with his bishop.
It is likely, however, that Bishop Zurek has declined to allow a meeting to take place with Father Pavone’s Canonical Advocate present. I do not know this for certain, but I have read that Father Pavone’s Canonical Advocate has requested mediation in this matter between Father Pavone and his bishop. It was apparently on the advice of the Advocate that Father Pavone declined to meet without his Advocate or a mediator present. Both Father Pavone and his Canonical Advocate, Father David Deibel, J.D., J.C.L. have come under some public fire for this.
Church Law insists that any priest in a canonical forum has a right to advocacy. I stand by what I wrote in “Thy Brother’s Keeper“:
“I bow also to Father Pavone’s resolve to protect his rights under the higher authority of the law of the Church, for the [Dallas] Charter makes one thing clear now: Some bishops will neither protect nor respect those rights.”
I speak from experience. Throughout the last decade of attempting to defend myself before both a court of law and a court of public opinion, I have also had to simultaneously defend myself against a one-sided effort by my bishop to bring about a canonical dismissal from the priesthood with no defense whatsoever offered by me. Throughout this process, my bishop has steadfastly refused to meet or even converse with my Canonical Advocate regarding the matter of preserving my rights under Church law.
Far worse, when my bishop learned that I am seeking an opportunity to bring forward a new appeal of my conviction, my bishop hired his own lawyers to conduct a secret evaluation of my trial to present in Rome and circumvent my own efforts to defend myself. He has repeatedly refused to share with me or my Canonical Advocate the findings of that secret assessment.
My bishop has acted throughout in the role of a prosecutor, but it’s even worse than that. In America, prosecutors are required to turn over to the defense the nature of charges and any evidence that supports them. When I tried to assert my rights under Church law in this matter, my bishop responded with silence and has remained silent ever since.
I believe I could safely say that every organization formed on behalf of priests to assist in protecting their rights under Canon Law would now state that no priest in even a hint of an adversarial circumstance with his bishop should ever agree to a one-on-one meeting without his Canonical Advocate present. It would not only be foolish, it could be destructive. It would be akin to a prosecutor demanding to meet privately with a defendant without his lawyer present.
As the priesthood crisis became critical in 2002, Cardinal Avery Dulles gave bishops and priests a clear reminder of their rights and obligations under Church law. His fine article, “The Rights of Accused Priests” is reprinted under “Articles” on These Stone Walls. Given these rights and obligations, I admire that Father Pavone is determined to resolve this matter in unity with his bishop. No bishop can in justice order him or any priest to set aside his rights under Church law.
Complicating my own comments on this matter is the fact that Father Frank Pavone and I have the same Canonical Advocate in the person of Father David L. Deibel, J.D., J.C.L. who has broad training and experience in both civil and Church law. He, of course, has not discussed the Father Pavone matter with me at all. He is an accomplished professional motivated by the law and an impeccable set of ethics.
But Father Deibel has come under some highly unjust fire because of his advocacy for me. Some have used this to try to impugn his reputation and undermine Father Pavone’s own canonical defense. In truth, Father David Deibel was the sole Church official to appear at my trial and sentencing over seventeen years ago. He traveled from California at his own expense to do this. At the time I was sentenced by Judge Arthur Brennan to 67 years in prison, Father David Deibel was one of only two people in that courtroom with the moral courage and personal integrity to speak the truth, despite knowing that there was a price to pay for it. Father David Deibel was one of the heroes in my case, and the extent to which this is true will very soon be placed into public view. There is a lot more to come in this regard, and it is indeed coming.
Meanwhile, the Church owes Father Frank Pavone the right of defense – and respect, support, and encouragement for his tireless voice on behalf of those who have been denied one. Click here for Father Frank Pavone updates.
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Dear all Catholic church faithfuls its indeed true that abortion is killing and that against both the ten commandments of God and church doctrines! Its real absurd to hear that some of the faithfuls are in support of this! I stay in Kenya where of late abortion is the order of the day! We have tried much we can to condemn this act but surprisingly even some church elders are in support. Since they are financially backed and being that we lack this financial back up, they always win the battle,Father, continue with the same spirit and surely one day we shall have the last laughter which is always the best!
My first visit to your Blog, Father, and I see you, like Jesus, suffering for other’s sins, though you are innocent. If it is any comfort, you are in good company spiritually! You are also in my prayers! My comment is that we have seen such enthusiasm for pro-life work, it is a mystery why the ALL bishops are not as enthusiastic! unless like I’ve quoted several times today “the view of the many are manipulated by the agendas of a few.” But my question is, why is there NOT an annual collection CHURCH-WIDE for pro-life causes????? The CCHD is an awful anti-subsidiarity, pro-left wing funding device that the Bishops have NOT shown accountability for. But that’s another story. I just think a pro-life fund should REPLACE the CCHD and let’s see what help we can really give the POOR and MARGINALIZED! God Bless!
Hi Father,
After reading what I could in secular and Catholic media stories about Father Pavone and his Bishop, I’ve come to believe that the only workable thing to do for me is to wait and pray for both priest and bishop and Priests For Life too. Having some real successful influence with the Pro-Life message in this country, Fr. Pavone and all the dedicated workers in the vineyard to save babies lives, must be infuriating to the pro-abort culture. Even though there is some media hype stirring things up, I can’t help but hope that it will draw some people to take a closer look at who they are and what they really stand for.
Father, With do respect,- -this in no way is intended to criticize you– I have a hard time accepting the terms that refer to the opinions and actions of some religious and laity in the Church classifying them as “right/left wing, liberal/conservative”. I feel deeply that the terms are strictly political and do not have any application in our Church. Many mainstream media and even other Americans, would like to pigeon-hole the Church into opposing sides by applying these labels, which simply reduces them to the passing political powers.
The Church is traditional, enduring and not political. Catholic opposition within the Church, is opposition to tradition, they choose to become secular, nontraditional, not in conformity or accord with the teachings of Christ and the hierarchy of the Church.
The misapplied terms also seem to ignore the powerful, supernatural, and spiritual role of the Church’s influence in people’s lives in the entire world. Because we’re living in highly-charged political times, we tend to make the mistake of putting people and ideas into some category that we can understand. I prefer that the Church be in the world not of world. Thank so much Father.
@Pierre Matthews
Thank you for the address. I will share my deep concerns with the Holy Father.
Do you think he’ll see any of our letters?
Well, I’m praying before, during and after I send it. I’ll wait a bit, and if I don’t hear back, I’ll send another.
The US Post Office can use the business.
This leaves me with several thoughts. First, I want to commend Father David Deibel for having the moral courage to advocate for both Father Pavone and for you. It speaks very well of him that he is an advocate for two the most courageous priests in America. Second, I want to echo the comment of Michael. I am left speechless by the actions of your Bishop. It is one thing to choose not to use church funds to help you – foolish and shortsighted as that might may be. But it is something else entirely for him to use church funds to hire his own legal wolves to undermine and sabotage your defense and then keep his report hidden from you. This is an outrage, and i now see why Father Richard John Neuhaus called this case a Kafkaesque tale. This begs for investigation.
To Fr. Gordon’s friends
Is our church hierarchy steering us toward a second inquisition,
far worse than the first one in late medieval times?
Two most sensitive issues are being swept aside and ignored by our
Dallas Charter bishops:
1. the hierarchy’s apparent action, indifference and disregard of
civil and canonic rights of priests, allegedly and/or falsely accused
of crimes not committed;
2. successful pro-life programs, under the influence of pro-
choice catholics, are are suspended and discredited, such as
Fr. Pavone’s pro-life apostolate among fellow priests.
Incredible.
Has our church leadership, in this country and elsewhere, lost
her compass, acting as absolute potentates denying innocent
(until proven otherwise) their rights and gagging the ones
in defense of life.
Are we abdicating our evangelical responsibilities to promote
justice and charity and respect for the unborn temple of God.
Why is this suddenly anathema? Are we rocking Peter’s boat
and imperil the Sunday collection?
Doing nothing is consenting victory to the powers of evil (Satan)
Let’s share our deep concern with our pope:
His Holiness Pope Benedict
Apostolic Palace
Vatican City 00120
Why aren’t there people outside Bishop Zurek’s residence offering silent, prayerful presence and protest, just like Fr. Frank taught us? We should also be outside the convent that Fr. Frank is incarcerated in. Fr. Frank taught us that a presence outside the fence does affect those on the other side, behind the walls.
Try as I might, I cannot believe it coincidence that Bishop Zurek summoned and sequestered Fr. Frank just as the 40 Days campaign was about to begin. Why are no other bishops who truly believe in life intervening for Fr. Frank? Why isn’t anyone looking into Bishop Zurek and any associations he may have?
How many times are the faithful supposed to close our mouths and sit on our hands while another innocent priest and his work are ruined?
When are we going to realize that there are bad people in the world and some of them find their way into the Church? It’s not a sin to stand up and speak out for those who are not permitted a voice. Fr. Frank taught us that.
I think it’s way past time that we extend love to our priests by standing up with them and for them, providing a visible, question asking presence, and letting our bishops know that these priests are not alone.
My father, an uncompromising man of integrity, once said to me: “You must distinguish between what is expedient and what is right.” He knew the difference; it appears many of out bishops do not. (Neither do our politicians: my father’s words should be put up prominently in the Palace of Westminster, in memory of St Thomas More, Chancellor of England, who did.)
May St Thomas More pray for all lawyers who make the same distinction and plead for truth and justice.
Father G.,
just wanted to let you know that during the recent 40 days for life, we encouraged parishioners to devote at least one hour in Eucharistic Adoration for the end of abortion. I don’ t have the tally of the hours yet, but it’s clear that we must get our own house (The Church) in order before we can effect change in our culture.
thank you for your commitment and your writings.
God Bless You, and may He have mercy on us all!
I second your analysis 200%.
I firmly believe that Fr. Pavone was removed to silence the lone voice out there who speaks on behalf of the Unborn.
Just as the Priests for Life Voter Guide should come out again in this current election cycle, he has been removed, and instead we have this “swiss cheese” of a document of “Faithful Citizenship” to continue to misinform the faithful.
It is a scandal so obscene, there are no words for it.
May God have Mercy!
Fr. Pavone certainly has been in my prayers. God bless him! It’s amazing how much you teach us from behind stone walls, Father. It’s good to know that you and Fr. Pavone have such a good Canonical Advocate. Prayers for him too!
@Sarah.
Your question is THE question of our day.
I think the church faithful has to do it, and by church faithful I don’t mean those who advocate for women priests, same sex unions and neglect of the sacraments.
I’m as orthodox as they come, but I’ve had it with bishops. I see lots of attempts to distance themselves from problems they did little to prevent. Lots of attempts to obfuscate real justice. I find it sickening.
I won’t be leaving the Catholic church; I will be making my voice heard. The house needs a good, thorough cleaning.
Once again, Father, thank you for your courage and commitment to Truth. It is in short supply in the world at present. As disturbing as these facts are to read, it is a breath of fresh air to know where one stands. I love and support Father Pavone. I know what a man of integrity he is. God Bless Father Deibel, and may he be protected in the days to come. I will share this post.
Be assured of my prayers, Father.
A crystal clear expose of the situation. The issue of abortion is such a call to witness that does not allow for worldly accomodation.
I am surprised at the number of catholics who are hesitant to make clear their support for the rights of the unborn child. It seems the more things change the more they remain the same. Jesus was not wanted in His time Herod slaughtered a thousand innocents to prevent his growing to adulthood.
Curiously often the very people who vehemently fight to repeal the rights of the government to execute people found guilty of serious crimes against humanity fight vigorously to keep in place legislation allowing the execution of an innocent human being who has not hurt anyone but who is deemed unworthy of basic human justice because they are invisible to the naked eye.
Abortion is not a right it is an escape from responsibility. Like Pontius Pilate society has tried to wash its hands of the consequences of sex without responsibilty.
Fr. Gordon: Only this afternoon, I was talking to a friend about what is happening to Fr. Pavone, and I find to my amazement, that you too, echo the same sentiments as mine. It is no coincidence that Fr. Frank’s, ” removal,” is happening, just when election fever is starting in earnest! The message to me, is that the pro-life movement is close to victory.
In Canada, with the refusal of the majority of the bishops to accept Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Humanae Vitae, and the embracing of the Winnipeg Statement, I can only conclude that those bishops in Canada must be in schism. The acceptance of abortion is only the direct result of refusal to accept the teaching of the Magisterium.
Prayer, fasting and Eucharistic Adoration are what we need to defeat the Adversary!
Well, well, the devil is in the details. … he knows his days are numbered. It’s obvious to me in these last days, the wheat in the church are being separated from the tares. Pro abortion activists are in the church too, even though they may not admit it; lots of politics as usual! We know who wins in the end.
Sarah wrote:
“Pardon my naivety: who holds the bishops accountable for their decisions?”
Our Lord.
Pardon my naivety: who holds the bishops accountable for their decisions?
I don’t know very much to make a lengthy and informative comment, but I appreciate you and your articles. Thank you for sharing your insight and defending the Truth.
If anyone needs to see that the devil is real all they need to do is see what is happening here. I am in utter amazement that these awful things are happening to our good priests, yet when I think about it, the same was happening during Jesus’ time on earth.
We will continue to pray Father, we will storm Heaven……and rest assured the gates of hell will not prevail!
God bless you for your work and suffering. It is not in vain! Why isn’t the Pope getting involved in this?
Fr. Gordon . What a great post!!!! Fr. Pavone has been a beacon to us pro-lifers for years. I have attended his Mass for the aborted babies and seen him pray in front of abortion mills. Thank you for so succinctly putting these matter forth. At our spirit-led rosary for the (Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc.) today we prayed for all priests especially those who have been abandoned by their own Church. Of course your name and Fr. Pavone’s was mentioned (among others). Pray for Nadine Brown (formerly Mother Nadine of the Intercessors of the Lamb). We follow her charism under the guidance of our Bishop and a very good priest in our area. Her group is now known as Intercessors of the Lamb, INC. You are in our daily prayers.
Patricia Heb 13:3
I am in the process of printing out Father MacRae’s blog concerning Father Frank Pavone. I want ALL of my Catholic friends and relatives to see this article. I not only cannot believe what his bishop is doing to Father Pavone, but the unmitigated gall of Father MacRae’s own bishop to hire his own attorneys (at the diocese expense) to find out about Father’s appeal to probably subvert it. And here we are, friends of Father MacRae, contributing funds to his defense and hoping and praying for the day when he will be free! No wonder, many of the faithful are angry and upset at their so-called leaders, the bishops. They give in to the media and to organizations like SNAP with nary a fight and, even here in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, Rigali has resuspended those 21 priests just because of outside pressure.
My wife and I are not only supporters of Father Pavone but give monthly to Priests for Life because we sincerely believe in his cause to save the innocents. We are tired of fighting not only the outside world but now we seem to be at odds with our own in the Church. Satan is alive and well even in our precious Church, it seems.
Dear Father,
I am sorry that Fr. Pavone is undergoing this trial. I am not afraid for the Church. She has withstood persecution, heresies, dreadful clergy, including the Bishop of Rome and weak, insipid instruction for the faithful. She sails on, protected by the Truth, the Way and the Life.
Pro abortion people hate the Church with an understandable passion. Their abortion policies are their “way out” of the profound lies of “free love”.
SNAP is being seen (finally) for the hate-filled, anti- Catholic organization it is. The Bishops who are largely responsible for the “scandal”, want it and you to go away. Not going to happen.
I’ve been wondering when the “media” is going to start screaming for Penn State to cough up all it’s money to the victims of the asst coach and for criminal charges against everyone above him! I won’t hold my breath.
Take courage Father. You are loved and appreciated.
Kathy Maxwell