(LifeSiteNews) – Sister Deidre “Dede” Byrne has come to the defense of Father Frank Pavone, calling his laicization a “travesty” and raising concerns about the Vatican’s favorable treatment of heterodox and abusive priests.
“The most vocal pro-life priest has been laicized,” lamented Sister Byrne, a member of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts order in Washington, D.C.
“In the wake of this travesty,” she said, “we still have the most pro-death, anti-nuclear family president in our nation’s history who professes to be a Catholic in good standing.” She added that the Vatican and most U.S. bishops have provided “no real guidance” regarding Joe Biden’s scandalous behavior.
Sister Byrne, who rose to national prominence for her fiery speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention, also contrasted Pavone’s laicization with the Vatican’s leniency toward serial abuser Father Marko Rupnik and other problematic clerics.
“Fr. Marko Rupnik is excommunicated in 2019 for sexually abusing religious sisters and then absolved them in Confession. However, this same priest was permitted by the Holy See to create the logo for the 2022 World Meeting of Families,” she noted.
“What appears to many of us Catholics who love our Church is selective ‘mercy’ from the Pope of Mercy.”
America’s best loved pro-life priest, Fr. Frank Pavone, the National Director of Priests for Life as well as the President of the National Pro-Life Religious Council, has apparently been laicized (dismissed from the priesthood) by order of Pope Francis.
SIGN: This outrageous attack on the pro-life movement by the so-called “listening Church” is a mockery of justice. Stand by Fr. Pavone ASAP!
Catholic News Agency reports that a December 13 letter to all bishops in America, sent from the Pope’s representative in America – the Papal Nuncio Fr. Christophe Pierre – says that Fr. Pavone was laicized for “blasphemous communications on social media” and “persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop.”
In a separate statement, the papal nuncio wrote that the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy – the head of the Vatican’s department dealing with priests – said that there was “no possibility of appeal” of the decision.
DEMAND JUSTICE: Pope Francis’ totalitarian regime cannot strike down faithful pro-life priests like Fr. Frank Pavone without international outrage!
According to CNA, which has confirmed the letter with several bishops, the statement calls Fr. Pavone, “Mr. Pavone.”
“Since Priests for Life, Inc. is not a Catholic organization, Mr. Pavone’s continuing role in it as a lay person would be entirely up to the leadership of that organization,” the statement says.
The statement notes that the decision on the matter by the Dicastery for Clergy was issued on November 9, but Fr. Pavone had not heard of the decision from the Vatican until CNA called him for comment.
SIGN AND STAND UP NOW: DEMAND THAT POPE FRANCIS IMMEDIATELY STOP HIS ATTACKS AGAINST FAITHFUL PRIESTS!
If Pope Francis and this Vatican regime can get away with expelling faithful priests like Fr. Frank Pavone, then the Catholic Church may truly be entering the darkest period of her existence!
SIGN NOW!
MORE REACTION:
John-Henry Westen: Here Is What the ‘Blasphemy’ Charge Against Fr. Pavone Is All About
John-Henry Westen: BREAKING: Pope Francis laicizes America’s best loved pro-life priest Fr. Frank Pavone
The orthodox nun urged Catholics to pray for Pavone and other priests who are “canceled for speaking truth.”
As LifeSiteNews has reported, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced Fr. Pavone’s laicization in a December 13 letter to U.S. bishops. The Vatican charged the famed pro-life priest with “blasphemous communications on social media” and “persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop.”
Pavone has strongly refuted the allegations. Canon lawyer and EWTN contributor Father Gerald Murray has pointed out that laicization is not listed in the Code of Canon Law as a penalty for alleged blasphemy and disobedience.
Please see Sister Byrne’s the full statement below:
Dear prayer warriors,
What just happened? More confusion, that’s what has happened. And the devil is the author of confusion. Our world is more turbulent than ever. The most vocal pro-life priest has been laicized.
What crime has he done to warrant such a harsh punishment?
In the wake of this travesty, we still have the most pro-death, anti-nuclear family president in our nation’s history who professes to be a Catholic in good standing … with no real guidance from a majority of our bishops or the Vatican.
Confusion is further exemplified by Catholic Faithfuls (and our non-Christian brothers and sisters, the Uyghurs) persecuted in China by the CCP with again no support from our Catholic leadership. Cardinal Zen, who is also the most vocal cleric against the CCP-Vatican accord, is found guilty of a charge relating to his role in a relief fund for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests in 2019. There is no outcry from the Vatican.
Four cardinals, Walter Cardinal Brandmüller, Carlo Cardinal Caffarra, Joachim Cardinal Meisner, and Cardinal Burke, co-author a document, “Seeking Clarity: A Plea to Untie the Knots in ‘Amoris Laetitia’.” Vatican doors are locked for them.
A Jesuit priest is the greatest promoter of LGBT behavior, and the Vatican greets him with open arms.
Another Society of Jesus (Jesuit) priest, Fr. Marko Rupnik, is excommunicated in 2019 for sexually abusing religious sisters and then absolved them in confession. However, this same priest was permitted by the Holy See to create the logo for the 2022 World Meeting of Families and given permission to preach in 2020 a Lenten meditation for priests in the Roman Curia, including Pope Francis.
Again, I do not know what Fr. Pavone did to warrant laicization (and now he is added to the growing list of Canceled Priests), but what appears to many of us Catholics who love our Church is selective “mercy” from the Pope of Mercy.
I ask myself often, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk. 18: 7-8)
Please pray for Fr. Pavone and all our dear priest who canceled for speaking truth.