Anastácio Alves

José Anastácio Alves (born in 1963) is a missing Madeiran Roman Catholic priest who exercised ecclesiastical functions in the Portuguese Parish of Gentilly, Val-de-Marne, from 2012 until 2018, before being removed from office on June that year by the Bishop of Funchal due to alleged child abuse practices.[1]

The Reverend Father José Anastácio Alves
Church	Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Patriarchate of Lisbon
Province	Lisbon
Diocese	Funchal
Orders
Ordination	28 July 1990 by Bishop Teodoro de Faria of Funchal
Rank	Priest
Personal details
Born	1963 (age 56–57) Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal
Nationality	Portuguese
Previous post	Priest of the Portuguese Parish of Gentilly (2012–2018)

Priesthood

Anastácio Alves, was ordained in the Cathedral of Funchal, by Bishop Teodoro Faria, on 28 July 1990, along with José Tolentino Mendonça.[1]

After his ordination as priest, he was assigned to the Parish of Quinta Grande, having exercised his office between 1992 and 1999. After 1999 he was then transferred to Parish Nazaré, in São Martinho, until 2008.

In 2008 he requests to be transferred to Portuguese Catholic Mission in Switzerland, in order to provide "spiritual support" to the Portuguese community living in that country and to further pursue his Theology studies in the University of Fribourg, a request to which Bishop Carrilho acceeds to. His parishioners in Nazaré would then speak out against his "sudden" leaving.[1]

After spending 4 years in Switzerland he was then authorized to exercise his ecclesiastical functions in the Portuguese Parish of Gentilly until July 24, 2018, when his removed from office the Portuguese Conference of Bishops due to alleged child abuse investigations initiated in Madeira by the Public Ministry and the Diocese of Funchal.[2]

Child abuse

In the mid of 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 the Public Ministry. This case was then closed due to lack of evidence in 2007, when Alves was already in charge of the Parish of Nazaré.

One year after the case his closed, the recently arrived Bishop Carilho announces that Alves has requested him to be transferred Switzerland.

On 24 July 2018, the Portuguese Conference of Bishops removes Alves from office in France due to another alleged child abuse case being investigated in Madeira. In September 2, the same year, Bishop Carrilho suspends Alves from all ecclesiastical duties, announcing a "zero tolerance"[3] policy and vowing to send all investigation reports and conclusions to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in accordance with Canon Law.

Alves has not been seen since his removal from office. The diocese has made several attempts to contact him pertaining to the child abuse investigation, but his whereabouts remain unknown.[4][5] In late 2019, he was heard from for the first time since the start of the investigation, having sent a letter to the diocese "asking to be released from his priestly duties", though refraining from disclosing his location or explaining his absence.[6]

See also

• List of people who disappeared

References

1. "Bispo afasta padre suspeito de pedofilia". www.dnoticias.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-09-02.
2. Marques, Ana Cristina. "Bispo do Funchal suspende padre suspeito de abusos". Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-09-02.
3. Group, Global Media (2018-09-01). "Bispo do Funchal afasta padre suspeito de abusos". DN (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-09-02.
4. João Francisco Gomes, Sónia Simões: Padre suspeito de abusos sexuais continua desaparecido. Bispo do Funchal não o consegue interrogar. Observador. Retrieved 2019-04-21
5. "Padre investigado por abusos sexuais a menores quer abandonar o sacerdócio". www.sabado.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-07-05.
6. Gomes, Tânia Pereirinha, Sónia Simões, João Francisco. "Investigado por abuso sexual de menor, Anastácio Alves desapareceu. Agora enviou uma carta a pedir para deixar de ser padre". Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-07-05.