The Roman Catholic Church has upheld the excommunication of Scott Peyton, a Louisiana deacon who resigned after a priest molested his son. Peyton learned of the decision from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) during a meeting with Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel of the diocese of Lafayette on Friday.
Background
The DDF cited technical grounds for rejecting Peyton's appeal, stating that he had joined an Anglican congregation and publicly shared this on social media. The DDF emphasized that this act constituted a refusal to submit to the Catholic Pope, Leo XIV, who has been in office since May 2025.
“"This act of joining a separated faith community by its very nature is an act of refusal of submission to the Roman pontiff and a refusal of communion with the members of the church subject to him," the DDF stated in documents shared by Dawn Eden Goldstein, Peyton's canon attorney.
Developments
In a joint statement on Sunday, Goldstein announced that Peyton intends to appeal the DDF's verdict. Peyton expressed disappointment but not surprise, stating:
“"Apparently, according to Bishop Deshotel, finding a faith community where my family can worship without reliving the trauma endured is a greater scandal to the Diocese of Lafayette than the sexual abuse of a child. I find that deeply troubling."
Peyton argued that excommunicating him served no pastoral good and harmed the spiritual lives of his family, which includes his wife and six children. His excommunication gained international attention in March 2024, with many outlets highlighting the severity of the punishment for a father whose son was abused by a priest.
