Deacon's appeal stalled: church abuse case grips vatican

A Louisiana man, once a Roman Catholic deacon, is battling a protracted legal fight with the Vatican over his excommunication, a punishment stemming from his son's molestation by a fellow priest. The delay in the Vatican’s response to his appeal raises questions about the church's handling of abuse cases and the long-term repercussions for victims and their families.

Peyton seeks update on appeal as vatican drag out process

Scott Peyton resigned as a deacon in the Lafayette, Louisiana diocese in 2023 after a priest, Michael Guidry, confessed to molesting his teenage son, Oliver, years earlier. Guidry, 83, received a seven-year prison sentence following a plea guilty plea and a subsequent settlement of $350,000 between the Peyton family and the diocese. The excommunication, issued by Lafayette Bishop J Douglas Deshotel in March 2024, effectively barred Peyton from participating in sacraments.

Peyton formally appealed to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) in May 2024, arguing the censure served no pastoral purpose and harmed his family, including his wife, Letitia, and six children. He also requested information on Guidry’s current canonical status. The DDF's standard adjudication process takes approximately three months, but a year has passed since Peyton’s initial appeal.

Dawn Eden Goldstein, a canon attorney representing Peyton, has repeatedly contacted the DDF seeking an update. She argues that the ongoing delay compounds the suffering of her client and his family.