‘PERSISTENT DISOBEDIENCE’

Anti-Abortion Priest Defrocked Over ‘Blasphemous’ Social Media Presence

Frank Pavone was a one-time religious advisor to Donald Trump and founder of the anti-abortion group Priests for Life.

The Vatican has defrocked a high-profile U.S. priest over alleged “blasphemous communications” over social media. Frank Pavone was previously under investigation by the diocese in 2016 for videotaping an aborted fetus he placed on an altar and posting it to two social media sites. “Father Pavone was found guilty in canonical proceedings of blasphemous communications on social media, and of persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop,” read a statement by the Apostolic Nunciature of the United States, confirming the former Trump advisor’s dismissal from the priesthood on Nov. 9. Pavone took to Twitter on Sunday to lament the news. “So in every profession, including the priesthood, if you defend the #unborn, you will be treated like them!” the Priests for Life founder said. “The only difference is that when we are ‘aborted,’ we continue to speak, loud and clear.”