Archbishop Ryan Jimenez, in a pastoral letter Thursday, said Luis Camacho is no longer a priest and is permanently prohibited from exercising any form of priestly ministry in the Catholic Church after a Vatican review.
Camacho left Guam in 2015 while he was under a canonical investigation following his arrest and later charged with custodial interference for allegedly taking a minor from school and engaging in a sexual act with her.
He visited Guam last year in May about nine years since he left Guam, but the archdiocese at the time said Camacho’s priestly faculties remained restricted.
Jimenez said the Archdiocese of Agana received official notification that on Sept. 19 the Congresso of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith completed its review of the case involving Camacho, who was ordained a priest for the archdiocese on Nov. 9, 2013.
The Congresso confirmed that Camacho was found guilty of delicta graviora cum minore – grave offenses involving a person under the age of 18 – and it upheld the penalty previously imposed: dismissal from the clerical state, Jimenez said.
“In simpler terms, Luis Camacho has been laicized. This means that he is no longer recognized as a priest and is permanently prohibited from exercising any form of priestly ministry in the Catholic Church. This decision is final and takes immediate effect,” the archbishop said.
The Dicastery’s review included the 2015 arrest of then-Fr. Camacho, the canonical investigation that followed, and a subsequent petition for recourse that Camacho himself submitted in an effort to have the penalties removed and to be restored to priestly ministry, Jimenez said.
The archbishop said he received authorization from the Dicastery on Nov. 5, 2024, to initiate an administrative penal process.
To ensure impartiality and fairness, Bishop Robert M. McGuckin, bishop emeritus of Toowoomba, Australia, was appointed as delegate to oversee this process, Jimenez said.
Following the canonical investigation, a penal decree was issued on May 6, finding Camacho guilty of delicts contra sextum, meaning violations of the Sixth Commandment (sexual misconduct) committed with a minor, and imposing the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state, the archbishop said
The decision has now been fully confirmed by the Congresso.
“As your shepherd, I carry the responsibility of informing you about the resolution of this very painful matter that has caused profound hurt among the faithful and had remained unresolved for many years. I share this update with you in a spirit of openness and with sincere pastoral concern for all who have been affected,” Jimenez said.
The archbishop said he also shared the update as part of the archdiocese’s continuing commitment to transparency, accountability, and the protection of minors and vulnerable persons.
“This moment is filled with genuine sadness. As archbishop, I bear deep responsibility for the spiritual welfare of God’s people. The pain is intensified when the one who has fallen is a priest¬ someone entrusted with sacred ministry and called to reflect Christ the Good Shepherd,” Jimenez said.
He said the resolution represents another necessary step toward truth, justice, and responsibility.
“In our ongoing mission to bring healing and hope to survivors of abuse, and to safeguard the young and the vulnerable, we place our trust not in our own strength, but in the grace of God,” Jimenez said.
Arrest
After Camacho’s 2015 arrest, then Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron sent him off-island to a priestly renewal program.
A year later, Apuron himself also left Guam after former altar boys started publicly accusing him of raping and sexually molesting them when they were minors, and the Vatican opened a canonical investigation on Apuron.
A Vatican tribunal found Apuron guilty of abusing multiple minors and after losing his appeal, he was stripped of his title and banned from returning to Guam.
According to archdiocesan records, Camacho was arrested on March 17, 2015, on Guam for custodial interference.
He resigned as pastor of San Dimas, Malesso’ and San Dionisio, Humåtak.
At the time, he was prohibited from hearing confession and restricted from celebrating Mass publicly. He was only able to celebrate Mass privately.
Rome opened a canonical investigation on Camacho following the incident in 2015.
“I humbly ask you to keep in your prayers the victim and her family, all survivors of abuse, our local Church, and yes, Luis Camacho, entrusting him to God’s mercy and to the call of repentance and conversion,” Jimenez said.