Pro-life leader Frank Pavone, the former Catholic priest renowned for his decades-long fight against abortion, is appealing directly to pro-life advocates to support his bid for reinstatement to the priesthood under Pope Leo XIV.
In a heartfelt letter to donors, Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, disclosed that he is formally requesting that Pope Leo reverse his controversial 2022 dismissal from the clerical state, a move he described as reversible by a future pope.
“First of all, yes, it is possible. What Pope Francis did, Pope Leo XIV can undo,” Pavone wrote, echoing sentiments he shared publicly after the decision under Pope Francis.
The appeal comes amid renewed hope following the election of Pope Leo XIV earlier this year, with Pavone citing widespread prayers from the faithful as a sign of grassroots support for his return to priestly ministry.
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“Now that we have a new Pope, so many people around the world and across the Body of Christ have told me that they are praying that I be reinstated to the priesthood,” he stated in the letter.
Pavone’s three-decade tenure at Priests for Life has made him a towering figure in the pro-life movement, credited with mobilizing clergy and church members to end what he calls “the greatest evil of our day.”
Supporters view his removal from the priesthood — ordered by Pope Francis for alleged problematic communications and supposed disobedience — as a tragic blow to the Church’s moral witness on life issues, especially as the Vatican faced backlash for elevating abortion advocates to influential roles.
To advance his reinstatement, Pavone outlined two pressing needs: funding for canon lawyers, consultants, and travel to Vatican meetings; and demonstrations of popular backing to affirm his ministry’s fruits.
“That’s one of our key arguments. ‘By their fruits you will know them.’ We can point to a 32-year track record of accomplishments and strong support from many Church leaders and lay people,” he wrote. “That’s a sign that God is behind this work. And that in turn is our argument why Church leaders today should be behind it as well.”
Yet Pavone painted a stark picture of opposition from “enemies of me and Priests for Life,” who he accused of seeking his total erasure. “They want me to disappear completely,” he said, detailing a “Scarlet Letter” campaign that has led to shunning, event exclusions, donation discouragement, and refusals to publish his work or accept his ads.
“You wouldn’t believe some of the stories!” he exclaimed, while noting warm receptions in many pro-life circles.
“The battle continues, and the road to reinstatement to priesthood involves making up for the damage that those who want to shun this work completely are causing,” he urged. “We can do it, together, and we must do it today.”
Drawing on conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s quip at a speech — “If you’re in the movement to win approval… you’re in the wrong line of business.”
Pavone said he most wishes the Catholic Church’s blessing on his pro-life ministry.
“Now I am going to ask again for what I asked 32 years ago: the Church’s blessing to do it as a priest,” Pavone concluded, imploring prayers, involvement, and “generosity” to “start undoing this ridiculous state of affairs.”
