Vatican reversed its expulsion from the clerical state of an Argentine priest

The Vatican annulled, based on new evidence obtained in an “extraordinary procedure,” the sentence of expulsion from the clerical state that two interdiocesan courts had determined for Father Ariel Príncipi, accused of crimes against the sixth commandment, which include cases of sexual abuse of minors.

Father Príncipi, incardinated in the Diocese of Villa de la Concepción de Río Cuarto, had been accused in 2021 of abuse of minors, and was tried first by the Interdiocesan Court of Córdoba, which decided to expel him from the clerical state, penalty confirmed in 2024, after an appeal, by the Interdiocesan Court of Buenos Aires.

According to a statement published by the Bishopric of Villa de la Concepción de Río Cuarto through the AICA agency, the Holy See carried out an “extraordinary procedure”, based on evidence received in June and July 2024, and determined to adopt a series of definitive measures, which annul the expulsion from the clerical state, but limit the exercise of the priestly ministry of Father Principi.

The measures applied from now on are: “Always under the special supervision 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 the pastoral ministry in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal; 3) Exercise the full pastoral care of the Church. Furthermore, you will only be able to concelebrate or celebrate the Holy Mass in private.”

Days before meeting the statement signed by the substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State, Mons. Edgar Peña Parra, the Bishop of Villa de la Concepción de Río Cuarto, Mons. Adolfo Uriona, had detailed to the local newspaper Strut that the case of Father Príncipi “was investigated by the Canonical Court of Córdoba, which after confirming the reported facts decided to expel him.”

“The Canonical Court of Buenos Aires also confirmed these facts and ratified the expulsion,” he explained then, 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 that Bishop Uriona’s statements to Puntal newspaper were “with information that he had at his disposal until that moment” and in response to questions from the press, not through an official communication from the bishopric.

At that time, he clarified, “we were waiting for confirmation from the Dicastery, it had not formally reached us, because there was also some possibility of (the priest presenting) an appeal. Thus, on September 25, Bishop Uriona published the statement he received the previous day from the Secretariat of State of the Holy See,” he said, and communicated through AICA, “because the Secretariat of State, to make this statement public.”

“What we know at this point is what the statement says. Obviously we are trying to have more details to see how it continues, but what we know is the statement,” he explained.

Although the reasons for this reversal in the sentence are not expressed, “the statement says that there was further evidence presented,” the priest said.