There’s been a flurry of commentary in Catholic circles since Pope Francis decided to defrock pro-life advocate and priest Frank Pavone. One suggestion I’ve seen from many Catholic writers is that Francis is punishing Pavone because he believes clergymen should not be involved in politics. It’s a laughable argument. Francis is very frequently involved in politics and regularly encourages (leftist) priests in their activism.
And that really does get to the heart of the matter: What we’re witnessing in the debate over Pavone is a battle between two different kinds of Catholics who each have two irreconcilable concepts of the Catholic Church and its role in the world.
On the one hand, there are Catholics, many of them supporters of Pavone, who believe that the Church has been entrusted with immense power for good and is capable of transforming and Christianizing the world for the sake of the most vulnerable members of the human race.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member