The Roman Catholic Church has upheld the excommunication of a Louisiana deacon who stepped down from the clergy after a priest molested his son, according to reporting by The Guardian — World.
Scott Peyton, who had served as a Catholic deacon, left his post and later joined an Anglican denomination following the crime committed against his child. The Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith formally affirmed the penalty of excommunication against him, cementing his expulsion from the Catholic Church.
Vatican Upholds Official Expulsion
Peyton received notification of the decision from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican department responsible for overseeing doctrinal discipline and serious canonical offenses. The ruling confirmed that the penalty imposed following his departure remains in full effect.
The formal decree of excommunication represents the most severe disciplinary measure within Roman Catholic canon law. By upholding the sanction, the church hierarchy finalized the institutional expulsion of the former clergy member.
Resignation and Move to Anglicanism
The case stems from the aftermath of the sexual abuse inflicted on Peyton's son by a Catholic priest. Following the incident, Peyton tendered his resignation from the Catholic diaconate and subsequently aligned himself with the Anglicans.
Canon law strictly prohibits Catholic clerics and members from formally joining non-Catholic denominations, an act treated by church authorities as schism. Peyton learned of the doctrinal department's decision to maintain the penalty, concluding the review of his status after his departure from the Roman Catholic fold.
