Posted on 09/10/2001 1:34:08 PM PDT by electron1
Father Pavone Asked to Leave Priests for Life
New York -- Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life for the past eight years, has been asked by Cardinal Edward Egan to resume full-time work within the Archdiocese of New York and leave his present position with Priests for Life. The reason for the decision is the need for parish priests in New York, and is consistent with similar decisions of the Cardinal to call back many other New York priests who are on special assignment.
Anthony DeStefano, Executive Director of Priests for Life, made the following statement:
"We are shocked at what has happened and frankly can't make heads or tails of it. Neither can other pro-life leaders worldwide. I know that Fr. Frank has committed his entire life to ending the tragedy of abortion. He has told me that he is preparing an important public statement to be made in the near future. He is continuing to negotiate with the Cardinal through all the proper channels and in accordance with the demands of Canon Law.
"In the meantime, in order to avoid any wrong impression that Priests for Life would operate without the blessing of the Church, Fr. Pavone has officially transferred the leadership of the organization to me and his other close associates, until such time that a new priests director is chosen. He and the organization have a long track record of fidelity to the Church and the bishops, and Fr. Frank does not want the organization which he built and which he loves so much to suffer because of a decision to transfer him."
DeStefano also said that Priests for Life would continue on the course Fr. Pavone has set for the organization.
"We have detailed plans that were formulated by Fr. Pavone which we will follow to the letter. Nothing is going to stop this organization from doing the things that have made us so effective in the past eight years. I am confident that all our friends and benefactors in the pro-life movement will continue to work harder than ever with us to make this happen."
Fr. Pavone is one of the leading voices in the pro-life movement. Cardinal John O'Connor appointed him to Priests for Life in 1993. Since that time, Fr. Pavone has transformed the fledgling group into an international organization with a multi-million dollar budget, a staff of almost 40 full-time employees, four full-time priests, and a global media outreach.
Maybe he is doing this to signal to all other organizations that he is not being biased as to what priests he asks back to pastoralship. Even PJPII has personally told Priests for Life that they are doing the "Most" important work. So we know Priests for LIfe is VERY important within the Church.
Egan seems to be, first and foremost, an administrator. He's closing churches and trying to get the finances of the archdiocese in order.
I'd wager Egan, like our bishop in Ft. Worth, is calling men back from military chaplaincies because of the shortage because he's getting hammered for closing churches.
I'd be interested in your assertions about Spellman. He's been a shady presence in the history of the American Church; I remember him vaguely, but he was THE power for many years.
You would kinda think that would be a redundency, but I guess not nowadays. Oh, well.
Lady
I'd be very surprised if someone as diplomatic as Pavone would endorse a particular candidate, by name.
This can affect non-profit status, you know.
Simple...Fr Pavone was too effective at what he was doing, making the NCCB look bad in contrast, i.e., look how much ONE SINGLE faithful priest is accomplishing while the entire US hierarchy does NOTHING effective whatsoever, principally because it is a group whose moral weight has been gutted by the group's rampant tolerance of/promotion of homosexuality (see their fatally flawed document Always Our children for proof), and institutionalized dissent from Humanae Vitae.
I hate to say this, but the sun is setting on the Roman Catholic Church here. Its the bishops' fault. They cannot tolerate the Fr Pavones telling the unadulterated truth, while they keep their silence or undercut orthodox Catholicism.
Boy, that really sounded prideful and arrogant, didn't it? Sorry.
I've just seen so much behind the scenes dirt the last few months, I'm suspicious of the hierarchy. Egan might be decent, but like the bishop of Birmingham, doing things under intense pressure from his fellow bishops that he would not do otherwise.
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