Vatican reverses decision to expel Argentine priest from clerical state

Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra meets with Pope Francis in Vatican City on Aug. 17, 2018. / Credit: Vatican Media

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oct 9, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The Vatican has revoked, based on new evidence obtained in an “extraordinary procedure,” the penalty of expulsion from the clerical state that two interdiocesan tribunals had determined for Father Ariel Príncipi, accused of crimes against the Sixth Commandment, which include cases of sexual abuse of minors.

Príncipi, incardinated in the Diocese of Villa de la Concepción in the city of Río Cuarto, had been accused in 2021 of the abuse of minors and was tried first by the Interdiocesan Tribunal of Córdoba, which decided to expel him from the clerical state, a penalty confirmed this year after being appealed to the Interdiocesan Tribunal of Buenos Aires.

According to a statement by the Diocese of Villa de la Concepción de Río Cuarto posted on AICA (Spanish acronym for Argentine Catholic News Agency, unrelated to CNA), the Holy See carried out an “extraordinary procedure” based on evidence received in June and July, and determined to adopt a series of definitive measures that rescind Príncipi’s expulsion from the clerical state but limit his exercise of the priestly ministry.

The measures in effect from now on are: “Always under the special oversight of the ordinary to whom said priest will be entrusted, from now on he will not be able to: 1) have contact with minors; 2) exercise pastoral ministry in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal; 3) exercise full pastoral care of the Church. In addition, he will only be able to concelebrate or celebrate holy Mass in private.”

Days before the announcement was made by the substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the bishop of Villa de la Concepción de Río Cuarto, Adolfo Uriona, had told the local newspaper Puntal that Príncipi’s case “was investigated by the canonical tribunal of Córdoba, which after confirming the facts that were reported decided to expel him.”

“The canonical tribunal of Buenos Aires also confirmed these facts and ratified the expulsion,” he then explained, acknowledging that they were awaiting notification from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The vicar general of the Diocese of Río Cuarto, Father Juan Giordano, explained to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that the statements made by Uriona to the newspaper Puntal were “based on information that he had at his disposal up to that moment” and in response to questions from the press, not through an official communication from the diocese.

At that time, Giordano clarified, “we were waiting for confirmation from the dicastery; it had not come to us formally, because there was also some possibility that [the priest would file] an appeal. Thus, on Sept. 25, Bishop Uriona published the statement that he received the day before from the Secretariat of State of the Holy See,” he said, and it was communicated through AICA, “because the Secretariat of State expressly requested that this statement be made public.”

“What we know so far is what the statement says. Obviously we are trying to get more details to see how this will proceed but what we know is the statement,” the vicar general explained.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.