Vatican upholds excommunication of Louisiana deacon who left church after son abused by priest

The Vatican has upheld the excommunication of Scott Peyton, a Louisiana deacon who left the Catholic Church after his son was sexually abused by a priest. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith confirmed Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel’s 2024 ruling that Peyton’s formal decision to join an Anglican congregation constituted schism. The decree, issued May 22, 2026, was delivered to Peyton on October 16, nearly two and a half years after he appealed to Rome.

Peyton, who was ordained a permanent deacon in Lafayette in 2012, served at St. Peter Church in Morrow, where his family was active in parish life. In 2018, his son Oliver disclosed that the parish priest, Fr. Michael Guidry, had sexually abused him in 2015. Guidry, 83, pleaded guilty in 2019 to molesting a juvenile and received a 10-year prison sentence, with three years suspended. He remains jailed, with release possible by the end of the year.

The Peytons have stated that the diocese compounded the harm by revealing details that made Oliver identifiable in their small community and by failing to protect the family from hostility after the allegation became public. Their lawsuit against Guidry and the diocese was settled in 2021. The diocese apologized to Oliver and his family, found the accusation credible, and announced that Guidry had been permanently removed from ministry.

In December 2023, Peyton told Deshotel he was leaving the Catholic Church and the diaconate. He and his family were formally received into Trinity Anglican in 2024. Peyton expressed disappointment but not surprise at the Vatican’s decision, stating that finding a faith community where his family could worship without reliving the trauma was seen as a greater scandal by the diocese than the sexual abuse of a child.

Peyton’s pro bono canon lawyer, Dawn Eden Goldstein, told the National Catholic Reporter that Peyton intends to appeal the decision. The case, which NCR reported on in April, remains unresolved, with Peyton awaiting further rulings. The Vatican’s ruling highlights the tension between pastoral care and canonical discipline within the Catholic Church, particularly in cases involving sexual abuse and the protection of vulnerable individuals.

The decision underscores the complex interplay between faith, accountability, and the well-being of victims. It also raises questions about the Church’s approach to reconciliation and the support provided to families affected by abuse. The case reflects broader challenges within the Catholic Church regarding transparency, justice, and the pastoral care of those who have experienced harm.

Source: Read the original report