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SIOUX FALLS, S.D., August 17, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Fr. Frank Pavone, director of the international pro-life organization, Priests for Life, will be coming into the Sioux Falls area to give several powerful talks to the clergy and the general public on August 18th and 19th. In what is being hailed as a “whistle-stop” tour of Sioux Falls, Fr. Pavone will be speaking to thousands of area residents about the November election.

Fr. Pavone will also be leading a demonstration and prayer vigil in front of the Sioux Falls Planned Parenthood clinic, and will be meeting privately with Bishop Robert Carlson at the Catholic Pastoral Center.

The focus of Fr. Pavone’s message will be that it is impossible to be a Catholic in good standing with the Church and yet vote for pro-abortion candidates. Fr. Pavone will be aggressively targeting Catholic and Christian voters, and urging them to “bring their Christian convictions into the voting booth on November 2nd.” He will also be issuing the following challenge to all the priests of the diocese: “Make the abortion issue and the election the central focus of all your homilies between now and November. Urge the tens of thousands in your flock to vote pro-life candidates into office!”  Dismissing charges that he and Priests for Life are trying to unfairly influence the presidential election, Fr. Pavone stated: “All we are saying is that this year’s elections are pivotal for the pro-life movement, and that it is therefore imperative that we elect more public officials who are willing to do something to restore full protection to the lives of unborn children.”  jhw