Diocese removes priest following sexual allegation, Vatican investigating complaint

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB/Gray News) - The Diocese of Baton Rouge has removed Catholic Priest Father Charbel Jamhoury from ministry.

According to the Diocese, it has also revoked his Safe Environment credentials and forbade him from further public ministry after allegations surfaced of inappropriate sexual behavior between the priest and an adult male.

On Feb. 8, Bishop Michael Duca removed Jamhoury from St. Isidore the Farmer Catholic Church in Baker, four months after the complaint was initially filed with the Diocese.

In a letter by the whistleblower and alleged victim sent to the parishioners, they urged parents to talk to their kids.

“Due to the serious nature of the allegations and our Bishop’s proportionate response, it would be prudent to have an informed conversation with your children (or any vulnerable person under your care) to learn if they ever experienced an uncomfortable or inappropriate interaction with Fr. Charbel, or if they witnessed anything inappropriate between Fr. Charbel and another person,” the letter read.

The individuals cautioned parishioners to use discretion about sharing the letter online.

“Our sincere request is that this letter not be shared on social media but only amongst those who have come into contact with Fr. Charbel,” the letter read.

A complaint was filed with the Diocese of Baton Rouge last October by the alleged victim. A second complaint made by a whistleblower was later elevated to the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service about the diocese not taking action.

It is alleged that Jamhoury offered an adult male oral sex, asked for a back massage, and made inappropriate comments.

The complaint alleges the priest also admitted to having a sexual relationship with a 20-year-old male, and the priest allegedly told the alleged victim it was OK to perform small sins but not big ones.

Jamhoury was said to have maintained his full credentials until the Diocese of Baton Rouge revoked them in February, with the investigation not being formally announced in the parish at that time.

The alleged victim said that when he initially brought this to the diocese’s attention, he was asked if he wanted money and if he was trying to get paid. He shared in an interview that he does not have a lawyer and just wanted the Diocese of Baton Rouge to do the right thing and remove Jamhoury.

A complaint about the alleged mishandling of this case by the Diocese of Baton Rouge was also sent to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge is part of a territorial division of the church that is subordinate to a principal Archdiocese.

A permanent representative of the Holy See, the Central governing body of the Catholic Church, authorized Archbishop James Checchio in New Orleans to initiate an investigation to collect information for them in this matter, which was reported.

Archbishop Checchio has 20 days to organize the investigation, then 30 days to complete the investigation, followed by 15 days to send his report, according to correspondence obtained.

Jamhoury is a Lebanese Maronite priest who was assigned to St. Isidore in the summer of 2025. Before that, he served as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mercy in Baton Rouge and also worked at St. Agnes.

Calls to him were not returned this week.

Luke Zumo is a long-time friend of the victim and a strong supporter of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

“This is a nightmare for me,” Zumo said.

Zumo served in multiple capacities within the organization, including on the vocations team, which is tasked with interviewing seminarians, men trying to become priests for the diocese.

“He (Jamhoury) detailed a history and a desire for oral sex with minor boys in graphic detail,” Zumo said. “If there’s a case where you suspect potential child abuse, as a volunteer for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, I’m a mandated reporter.”

Zumo said once he learned of the inappropriate behavior, he scheduled meetings with the Vicar General, Father Jamin David, and Bishop Michael Duca.

However, after two months of nothing happening and Jamhoury still showing up at church, Zumo said he went to the authorities last December.

“After I hung up the phone with the detective, I actually received an urgent call from Bishop Duca. So I’m assuming Father Jamin and Bishop Duca read my email, and Bishop Duca called me urgently,” Zumo said. “He said, Luke, you don’t need to call law enforcement. You’re just going to muddy the waters.”

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office acknowledged a complaint was made by a third party, saying something happened with another adult, but as of yet, they have not found anything to substantiate, and the investigation has been suspended pending new evidence.

Zumo said Bishop Duca scheduled an in-person meeting with him.

“Bishop Duca shared with me that the diocese knew that Father Charbel had, quote, unquote, gone outside of his boundaries. He had admitted to requesting hand-holding. He had admitted to requesting a massage from his parishioner behind closed doors. But he said everything else beyond that was simply a misunderstanding,” Zumo said.

A document obtained from the diocese shows that after that meeting, the diocese sent Jamhoury to “a full health evaluation of his physical, mental, and psychological well-being at a professional, inpatient facility outside of the diocese.”

On Feb. 2, Zumo said the victim was told Jamhoury was fit to return. That’s when they informed the bishop that, against the wishes of the diocese, they would be telling parishioners at St. Isidore what happened.

Days later, Jamhoury was removed from the church.

This week, Zumo said he received correspondence from the Archdiocese in New Orleans that the Vatican authorized an investigation to commence.

“The diocese’s decision to leave Father Charbel at the parish and their decision to withhold these allegations from his parishioners was a betrayal of every mother, father, and child in our diocese that we had been betrayed,” Zumo said.

According to Zumo, after everything, this situation has strengthened his faith and led him to follow a higher calling to weed out alleged bad behavior, as his sanctity and respect for the church have driven him to fight for the truth.

“I can’t stress enough that all of us who brought this to light, we love our church, we love our bishop, we love our priests, and we’re simply trying to do the Lord’s will. We’re trying to follow Jesus’ example,” Zumo said.

DIOCESE OF BATON ROUGE RESPONSE

In October 2025, the Diocese of Baton Rouge received a report of serious boundary violations with an adult regarding Father Charbel Jamhoury, a priest of the Maronite Lebanese Order, who served as pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer in Baker. After receiving information regarding these allegations, the diocese contracted with an independent, private investigator to examine the matter further. It was announced on the weekend of 27/28 December 2025 that Father Jamhoury would temporarily leave the parish for a full health evaluation of his physical, mental, and psychological well-being at a professional, inpatient facility outside of the diocese.

After extensive conversation with all parties involved and an investigation which also included interviews by law enforcement, the diocesan investigation, and the full health assessment of Father Jamhoury, Bishop Duca determined that Father Charbel be removed from his office as Pastor of St. Isidore effective immediately, and this was accomplished in early February. Since that time, the following statement, which was read by Bishop Duca at all Masses at St. Isidore Parish the weekend of 07/08 February 2026, has been publicly available on our diocesan website concerning the matter.

If there is indeed a Vos estis investigation of Bishop Duca by Archbishop Checchio or by any dicastery of the Holy See, the fact of this investigation is totally unknown by Bishop Duca or by any diocesan official in the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

The bishop declines an interview at this time regarding this matter.