Pope Leo XIV expels deacon from the clerical state for abuse of minors

Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 16, 2025, expelled from the clerical state an Italian deacon who was convicted of sexual offenses against minors. / Credit: Freedom Studio/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 17, 2025 / 16:19 pm (CNA).

Italian permanent deacon Alessandro Frateschi, who was convicted of sexual offenses against minors, has been expelled from the clerical state directly by Pope Leo XIV.

The Diocese of Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priverno announced the news Sept. 16, stating that Frateschi was notified of the decree in prison, where he is currently serving a 12-year sentence. This is the first known case of canonical sanction for abuse during the new pope’s pontificate.

Frateschi, 46, was sentenced in the Italian civil court in 2024 after being found guilty of sexually abusing five minors between 2018 and January 2023. Three of the victims were his students at a secondary school in Latina where he taught Catholic religion; another was a minor in foster care; and the fifth was the son of family friends.

“On the morning of Sept. 16, in the Latina prison, permanent deacon Alessandro Frateschi was notified of the decree of dismissal from the clerical state by direct decision of Pope Leo XIV. This decree of conviction is not appealable,” the official statement from the diocese notes.

The canonical investigation was conducted by the disciplinary section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is competent in “delicta graviora” (“more serious offenses”), including crimes against the Sixth Commandment committed by clerics with minors under 18 years of age. Due to the gravity of Frateschi’s crimes, the dicastery referred the case directly to the Holy Father, who decided to impose the severest penalty provided by canon law.

Frateschi was informed that he will no longer be able to speak in the name of the Church, preach homilies, hold any kind of position in seminaries or parishes, or teach Catholic theology or religion in academic institutions, regardless of whether they are under the Church’s authority.

The bishop of Latina, Mariano Crociata, had provisionally suspended Frateschi in January 2023, the same day he learned of the allegations. After listening to Frateschi, he accepted his resignation as religion teacher, revoked his teaching qualifications, and opened a preliminary investigation, the results of which were forwarded to Rome.

The conclusion of the process “leaves a wound in the entire diocesan community,” the statement acknowledges. “We renew our solidarity and closeness to the victims and their families.”

The diocese also reiterated its commitment to the protection of minors and vulnerable people and encouraged everyone to report any instances of abuse, even from the past, to the Interdiocesan Service for the Protection of Minors, emphasizing that this step does not replace but rather encourages recourse to the civil justice system.

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