Zurek said “persistent questions and concerns” from clergy and laity about how the “millions of dollars in donations” the organization has received are being spent led to the action.

The bishop asked the 52-year-old priest to return to Amarillo from New York “to spend time in prayer and reflection.” The archdiocese later softened its position in a statement saying that the bishop only suspended Pavone’s ministry outside of the diocese because the well-known pro-life priest is needed for work in Amarillo.

Msgr. Harold Waldow said there is a “dispute” about the audits of two of Priests for Life’s affiliated agencies, Rachel’s Vineyard, an abortion healing ministry, and Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, a lay Catholic association. “Because there is a dispute ... (it) does not mean that Fr. Pavone is being charged with any malfeasance or being accused of any wrongdoing with the financial matters of Priests for Life,” the statement said.

“He’s here to be obedient to the bishop and try to work with the bishop,” Waldow said. “He’s going to have assignments, and he will be put on our payroll and given health care and other benefits like any other priest of the diocese.”

Records filed with the Internal Revenue Service show that the organization’s income topped $10.8 million in 2008, the latest year tax forms were available. The same records show that Pavone received no income from the organization during those years.

Pavone said he has already explored the possibility of being incardinated in another diocese so he could resume full-time ministry with Priests for Life. He added that he has appealed the suspension to the Congregation of the Clergy at the Vatican.

“I fully expect that my time in Amarillo, both in terms of this immediate trip and in terms of my affiliation with that diocese, is going to be temporary,” he said.

In a letter to the U.S. bishops, Pavone questioned the reason for his recall to Amarillo and said that Zurek’s claim that Priests for Life has operated with no financial transparency was unfounded. He cited a list of 41 documents detailing the finances of organization provided to Zurek since 2005.

Zurek had raised questions about the financial dealings of Priests for Life, saying Pavone had not adequately explained whether funds were being used “prudently.”

“Since he has consistently refused to subject the PFL to a transparent and complete auditing of all expenditures, I have reasons to be alarmed at the potential financial scandal that might arise if it were the result of my failure to correct Fr. Pavone’s incorrigible defiance to my legitimate authority as his bishop,” Zurek said in his letter.