ARTICLES

Planned Parenthood Priest

Defends Afghan-Bound Abortionist

By Camille Giglio

Editor: the following account was sent from Camille Giglio, parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Concord, about her encounter on October 12 with Father Harold Pavelis, a retired priest living in the Oakland diocese.

I had come to Mass on that Friday morning with a heavy heart. After two days of intensive research on the internet and phone I had found out that teams of medical personnel, including at least one abortionist from the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Forrest Smith, were heading for Pakistan under the sponsorship of the United Nations Family Planning Associates to bring contraceptives and abortion supplies into the Afghan refugee camps. Father Pavelis was the celebrant at Mass that morning, had focused his homily on an article by Father Gerald Coleman entitled 'A Catholic Response to U.S. war on Terrorism.' I brought my information to Father Pavelis in the belief that he might understand my concern. I was, instead, treated to a lecture on the benefits of family planning. He said that the finest group caring for women was Planned Parenthood. He stated quite proudly that he even donated to the local branch of Planned Parenthood.

When asked how he could believe that, when at that very hour Planned Parenthood was aborting babies in its Walnut Creek center, his response was, "well, that's your opinion." The next day I sent a letter to my pastor describing the discussion with Father Pavelis. I sent Pavelis a copy of the letter. He returned my letter to me with his own comments written in the margins. It said, "I suggest you broaden your perspective by knowing all the health services Planned Parenthood and other groups, such as Catholics for a Free Choice provide." Included in that letter along with literature from Planned Parenthood was this statement: "I simply see things differently from you and the Vatican." [The letter with Father Pavelis' markings can be seen here (68k)].

I stated that Muslim representatives at the United Nations work closely with the Vatican to oppose UN programs of abortion and birth control being exported to Third World Countries. Pavelis changed my sentence to read: "Some Muslim men work closely with the Vatican." In another sentence, Pavelis crossed out my reference to Dr. Forrest Smith as an abortionist and wrote-in "health provider." And, lastly he declared himself to be an "informed man" [who] believes that "Planned Parenthood is a fine organization."

Father Pavelis is said to often provide the musical accompaniment to the 5:30 p.m. Saturday Mass at St. Francis of Assisi and occasionally fills in at daily Mass for vacationing priests.

See more on Father Pavelis in News Shorts.

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