Vatican upholds excommunication of deacon whose son was abused by priest

A former Catholic deacon in Louisiana, who left the Church after a priest admitted sexually abusing his teenage son in 2018, has lost his appeal against excommunication. Scott Peyton, who resigned from Catholic ministry in 2023 and briefly joined an Anglican congregation, was informed that the Vatican had upheld his removal from the Catholic Church.

The decision has drawn attention to the fact that Michael Guidry, the priest convicted of abusing Peyton's son, remains a priest despite serving a seven-year prison sentence.Peyton received the decision on Friday during a meeting with J Douglas Deshotel, the bishop of Lafayette. According to The Guardian, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) concluded that Peyton had formally separated himself from the Catholic Church by joining another Christian denomination.For Peyton, however, leaving the Church had followed years of distress over what happened to his family. He has maintained that he wanted to protect his family's faith while distancing himself from an institution whose handling of sexual abuse cases had deeply troubled him. He now worships with a nondenominational congregation.The ruling has also raised questions about the different actions taken against Peyton and Guidry.

While Guidry was suspended from publicly carrying out priestly duties, he was not removed from the priesthood. Peyton, on the other hand, was excommunicated after changing churches. He has announced plans to challenge the Vatican's decision again.

How case changed Peyton's relation with Church

Peyton had been serving the Diocese of Lafayette since 2012. According to local news outlet Acadiana News First, he served alongside Guidry at St Peter Catholic Church in Morrow, Louisiana, where Peyton's son Oliver also served as an altar server.In 2018, Guidry admitted molesting Oliver, who was then a teenager. The priest was arrested, subsequently pleaded guilty and received a seven-year prison sentence. The Lafayette diocese also faced criticism after Guidry was given a farewell lunch by his church, prompting an apology from the diocese.The family later reached a $350,000 out-of-court settlement with the diocese in 2021. Peyton, his wife Letitia and Oliver subsequently became involved in supporting survivors of sexual abuse by clergy.Although Peyton continued his religious journey, he eventually decided that remaining a Catholic deacon was no longer possible. He resigned in December 2023, explaining his reasons in a letter to Bishop Deshotel."This decision is not a rejection of my faith in God or my commitment to living a life guided by Christian principles," he wrote as quoted by Acadiana News First.Peyton and his family then briefly attended an Anglican church.

He also disclosed the move on social media. Within months, Deshotel issued a decree declaring that Peyton had separated himself from the Catholic Church and was excommunicated.

Why Vatican upheld excommunication

Peyton challenged the decree in May 2024, arguing that the punishment served no useful religious purpose. He also said the decision had affected his wife and six children, who felt unwelcome in the Catholic Church.Excommunication is one of the most serious penalties under Catholic Church rules.

It prevents a person from participating in certain sacraments, including receiving holy communion.The Vatican's DDF reviewed Peyton's appeal and rejected it on May 22, 2026. However, Peyton was not informed of the outcome until October.The DDF acknowledged the suffering experienced by his family and recognised his desire to preserve their Christian faith. It nevertheless concluded that formally joining the Anglican church meant he had separated himself from the authority of the Catholic pope.The Vatican also observed that Bishop Deshotel could have warned Peyton more clearly about the consequences of joining another church. Despite that observation, it found the excommunication justified and expressed hope that reconciliation might eventually be possible.

Peyton plans another appeal

Following the decision, Peyton's lawyer, Dawn Eden Goldstein, said the bishop had confirmed that Guidry remained a Catholic priest. According to Goldstein, Deshotel had wanted Guidry to retain that status because of his age.Peyton questioned how his decision to worship elsewhere had resulted in excommunication while the priest convicted of abusing his son continued to hold priestly status. "That is the scandal," Peyton said in a statement on Sunday, The Guardian reported. "That's the contradiction," he added.Goldstein also criticised the appeal process. She explained that the Vatican body does not communicate directly with a person challenging a bishop's decision.

Instead, information passes through the bishop involved in the dispute, which she argued raised concerns about fairness.Peyton has said he will continue advocating for people affected by clergy sexual abuse, regardless of the outcome of his appeal. "I am disappointed in the DDF's decision to uphold my excommunication. However, I am not discouraged," he said. He intends to pursue another appeal at the Vatican.