missing
Missing or The Missing may refer to:
Film
* ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young
* ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras
* ''Missing'' (2007 film) (''Vermist''), a Bel ...
Madeira
)
, anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira")
, song_type = Regional anthem
, image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg
, map_alt=Location of Madeira
, map_caption=Location of Madeira
, subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
n Roman Catholic priest who exercised ecclesiastical functions in the Portuguese Parish of
Gentilly, Val-de-Marne
Gentilly () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is the closest commune to Paris, located from the city center.
Name
The name Gentilly was recorded for the first time in the 6th century as ''Gentilly'', a royal estate of so ...
, from 2012 until 2018, before being removed from office in June that year by the Bishop of Funchal due to allegations of child abuse.
Priesthood
Anastácio Alves was ordained in the
Cathedral of Funchal
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption ( pt, Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Assunção) in Sé, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Funchal, which encompasses all of the Autonomous Region of Madei ...
by
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
Teodoro Faria, on 28 July 1990, along with José Tolentino Mendonça.
After his ordination as priest, he was assigned to the Parish of
Quinta Grande
Quinta Grande, created on 24July 1848, is one of the five civil parishes that constitute the municipality of Câmara de Lobos in the archipelago of Madeira, Portugal. The population was 2,099, in an area of .São Martinho, where he worked until 2008.
In 2008, Alves requested to be transferred to Portuguese Catholic Mission in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, in order to provide "spiritual support" to the Portuguese community living in that country and to further pursue his
Theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
studies in the
University of Fribourg
The University of Fribourg (french: Université de Fribourg; german: Universität Freiburg) is a public university located in Fribourg, Switzerland.
The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius ...
. Bishop Carrilho approved the transfer. Alves' parishioners in Nazaré spoke out against his "sudden" departure.
Alves spent 4 years in Switzerland, then returned to the Portuguese Parish of Gentilly. On July 24, 2018, he was removed from office in Gentilly by the Portuguese Conference of Bishops in response to an investigation of child abuse initiated in Madeira by the Public Ministry and the Diocese of Funchal.
Child abuse
In 2005, when Bishop Teodoro de Faria was still head of the Diocese of Funchal, Alves was reported to the police as a child abuser and was made ''
arguido
''Arguido'' (male, ) or ''arguida'' (female, ), normally translated "named suspect" or "formal suspect", is a status in Portuguese type legal systems, including those of Portugal, Angola and Mozambique.
It is given to a person whom the authoriti ...
'' the Public Ministry. This case was closed due to lack of evidence in 2007, when Alves was in charge of the Parish of Nazaré.
One year after the case his closed, the recently arrived Bishop Carilho announced that Alves has requested him to be transferred to Switzerland.
On 24 July 2018, the Portuguese Conference of Bishops removed Alves from office in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in response to another alleged child abuse case being investigated in Madeira. On September 2, the same year, Bishop Carrilho suspended Alves from all ecclesiastical duties, announcing a "zero tolerance" policy and vowing to send all investigation reports and conclusions to the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from Heresy in Christianity, heresy and is ...
, in accordance with
Canon Law
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
.
The diocese has made several attempts to contact him pertaining to the child abuse investigation, but his whereabouts remain unknown. In late 2019, Alves sent a letter to the diocese "asking to be released from his priestly duties", though he refrained from disclosing his location or explaining his absence.
On 23 June 2021, the Pope
Francis
Francis may refer to:
People
*Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome
*Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Francis (surname)
Places
* Rural M ...
"acceded to the request" of Anastácio Alves for "dispensation from the obligations inherent to Holy
Ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...
, including
priestly celibacy
Clerical celibacy is the requirement in certain religions that some or all members of the clergy be unmarried. Clerical celibacy also requires abstention from deliberately indulging in sexual thoughts and behavior outside of marriage, because thes ...
". Having failed to contact the said priest in order to inform him of the decision, the Diocese of Funchal "was instructed by the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from Heresy in Christianity, heresy and is ...
to make the Pope's decision public.".
See also
*
List of people who disappeared
Lists of people who disappeared include those whose current whereabouts are unknown, or whose deaths are unsubstantiated. Many people who disappear are eventually declared dead ''in absentia''. Some of these people were possibly subjected to enfo ...