Bishop Hicks’ Diocesan Chancellor ‘Marries’ Boyfriend

UPDATE: Thank you to an intrepid supporter who provided us with photos from the Salvato/Aguilar “wedding.” Bishop Hicks has remained silent regarding this scandal since this story was published.

In 2021, Bishop Hicks announced David Salvato as his new Chancellor for the Diocese of Joliet:

As chancellor, Salvato will advise Bishop Hicks and diocesan officials on issues related to canon law. He will also record the ecclesiastical acts, decrees and dispensations issued by Bishop Hicks, as well as oversee the diocesan archives.

Salvato has worked since 2011 as a canon lawyer for the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In that role, he led two teams that oversaw the investigation of nearly 200 marriage annulment cases each year.

He also has taught at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California, as an adjunct professor; worked as an English translator for L’Osservatore Romano, the daily newspaper of the Vatican City State; and served as the director of the marriage and family life program at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Centennial, Colorado.

Salvato holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, where he also obtained bachelor’s degrees in theology and philosophy. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of San Diego.

This week, we learned from a reliable source within the diocese that Salvato went missing from his diocesan job several weeks ago.  The source further informed us that Salvato was “married” to his partner, Jacob Aguilar, last week in Naperville, Illinois.  The couple had a wedding registery on The Knot which apparently is no longer active.  We were able to locate a wedding registry that was still active at Bloomingdale’s.

Related Post: Leo Promotes Hicks to Archbishop of New York as His Chancellor “Marries” His Boyfriend

This sad situation raises some questions that we believe Bishop Hicks should answer prior to accepting his new role as Archbishop of New York:

1. When did Hicks learn that Salvato was an active homosexual? Did he know (or even suspect this fact) when Salvato was initially hired in 2021? If so, why did Hicks proceed in hiring Salvato?
2. Is Hicks concerned about the eternal salvation of Salvato’s soul?  What spiritual counseling (if any) did Hicks offer to try to have Salvato turn away from his mortal sin?
3. Has Salvato’s employment been formally terminated by the Diocese of Joliet?
4. Did Salvato voluntarily leave his position as chancellor or did Hicks ask him to resign?
5. Did Salvato have a “wedding” ceremony in a Catholic Church?
6. Did a Catholic priest participate in any way, including “blessing” the couple?
7. Did any other diocesan employees attention the event?
8. Has Salvato been barred from receiving Holy Communion in the diocese?
9. How many other active homosexuals are now employed by the diocese (including diocesan schools) and what is Hicks’ strategy for dealing with these individuals?

It is possible (although unlikely) that Bishop Hicks may not have known about Salvato’s lifestyle issues until just weeks before his “marriage.” What Hicks should have done at that time was to use this unfortunate situation as a teaching opportunity for his flock, explaining why Salvato’s choice was incongruent with Catholic teaching and why his employment with the diocese had to be terminated.

Instead, Bishop Hicks appears to have tried to conceal the problem, removing all references to Salvato from his diocesan website. Hicks had to have recognize that this situation would eventually come to light and create a scandal.  Why then did he not address the issue before it became public so that people would not have to speculate as to the answers to the questions we have raised?

Pope Leo recently named Bishop Hicks as the new Archbishop of New York, replacing Timothy Dolan. Leo apparently did not want to comment on the appointment when he was asked this week.

We hope and pray that Bishop Hicks will use better judgement when making staffing decisions in his new role as Archbishop of New York.

TAKE ACTION: Contact Bishop Hicks at officeofthebishop@dioceseofjoliet.org or 815.221.6100. Ask him to come clean and answer questions about David Salvato.