A scandal has hit the pro-life movement. CNS has the story.
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 the priest’s operation of Priests for Life.
The suspension was made public in a Sept. 13 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.”
They’ll be more as the day unfolds and this is going to be a huge black eye on the church AGAIN because we’re really not careful in selecting the people who are speaking for us. My initial thought is that Fr. Pavone simply isn’t a good business manager and mismanaged this into a place where he was able to distance himself from his diocese.
It will be interesting to see if he goes “independent” like Fr. Corapi.