True, I had promised the visitors I would not call Archbishop Apuron a liar. So I will let you do that after you read this.
We have already noted the absolute insanity of Archbishop Apuron's latest public garbage dump on Msgr. James. The abuse is beyond description. Sadly, the real harm is not to Msgr. James. He's a man and he'll deal with it. The real harm is to the church and the thousands of Catholic faithful who are horribly scandalized by the sight of a bishop beating his priest in public.
Imagine your father taking your brother out into the street and beating him publicly for some act of disobedience. The shame does not just accrue to the sibling who is beaten, but to the whole family. This is what Archbishop Apuron is doing, and now that we have had a visit from Rome, we have to assume that he is doing this with the permission of the Vatican unless they act otherwise. I know that this is not true, but we have to assume that this is what others are thinking, many others.
The $7 million loan is a loan which was approved by all Church bodies including Archbishop Apuron, Msgr. David C. Quitugua (the Vicar General), and even Rome. Yet, Apuron, Quitugua, and Cristobal want to make it look like Msgr. James incurred this debt on his own.
Some further facts:
• The $7 million dollar Cathedral Basilica loan was procured in 1998 for the renovation of the Cathedral and the Catholic Cemeteries. Of the original $7 Million dollar loan, only $1.7 remained as balance as of July 2014. An additional $2 million was taken out for the St. Therese and Museum 6 years ago. The remaining balance is from the Catholic Cemeteries.
The credit cards used by Msgr. James were not procured privately or secretly by Msgr. James. The were ISSUED by the Archdiocese of Agana. Yet Apuron et. al. try to make it look like they didn't know about them by saying in the report that they were "discovered."
Also:
• The Cathedral Basilica never had a credit card. Only the Gift Shop. That credit card was used to purchase inventory for the GS. I know, because as the manager of the gift shop for 4 years, I placed many of the orders myself. Christmas inventory alone could exceed $30,000. The balance was always paid down at the end of the year after holiday sales. Most retail operations who depend on heavy Christmas traffic operate this way. The gift shop NEVER defaulted in payment.
• The Catholic Cemeteries also had a credit card. The balance due was from conferences held for management for the annual National Catholic Cemeteries Conference. There was never a default in payment.
Five Star Hotels. The report says "Five star hotels". However it only notes the Shangri-La in Manila. It only notes the Shangri-La because that was the only "five star hotel" which was used by Msgr. James. Yet, Apuron et al try to make it look like Msgr. James availed himself to five star hotels around the world (as does Apuron). The reason Msgr. James stays at the Shangri-La is because he has a special rate of $130 a day which is the equivalent of a mid-range hotel.
Also:
• Many of the Shangri-La hotel charges are church business related. Msgr. James was often tasked with hosting church dignitaries or clergy who have helped the archdiocese or were meeting them there to invite them to Guam.
• Archbishop Apuron often stayed at the Shangri-La himself and whenever he stayed with Msgr. James, Msgr. James picked up the hotel tab for the archbishop.
More on the use of credit cards.
• Msgr. James regularly used his personal credit card to pay for the Cathedral Basilica's power bill, allowing for an additional 30 days to pay off the bill, which he always did.
• Because the Cathedral Basilica does not have a credit card, Msgr. James used his personal card to purchase certain items for the church which were to be later reimbursed. As most of us know, few businesses take checks, especially when you're from somewhere else, and no one travels with a lot of cash, so a credit card is absolutely necessary so Msgr. James used his own card to make church purchases. Every credit card purchase was accompanied by a receipt to justify the expense.
• In fact, a past former Executive Director of the Archdiocesan Development Group had used his personal credit card to purchase church related supplies for the Cathedral and Gift Shop in excess of$15,000, but because he lost his receipts, Msgr. James did not reimburse him so he decided to make it a donation instead.
The 20th anniversary reception for Msgr. James was not paid for by the Catholic Cemeteries, it was paid for by his family and close family friends. The chancery knows this. So it is simply a LIE.
The accusation about cemetery crypts or plots being give to friends and family as favors is a lie. Plots and/or crypts were given to two families for services they have done in exchange for them. The exchange was based on value for value. The "Benavente" plot cost less than $10,000.
There is also the matter of WHO now is making the payments on the outstanding balance of the loans?
• Apparently the archdiocese itself is paying for those loans (which means they are using our collections). The archdiocese should have been the one to pay these loans from the beginning. The Agana Cathedral is the bishop's church, NOT Msgr. James. In fact, Msgr. James was never given the title of pastor even though he acted as a pastor there for 20 years.
• Archbishop Apuron has always reserved the title of pastor for himself even though he has NEVER acted as a pastor to the Agana parish. Fine. If Archbishop Apuron wants to be the pastor of the Cathedral Basilica parish, then LET HIM pay those loans.
• However, he NEVER paid on those loans while Msgr. James was there. He let Msgr. James scrape and scratch for the money to pay for his (the archbishop's) projects, while he (the archbishop) jetted about the world with his neo boboys.
Thank you for this clarification. Not that I ever doubted the accusations regarding Msgr. James were false, but for the many others who are dumbfounded by all the LIES that spew out of the "billygoats" on the hill. God have mercy on AAA and the others alongside with him! We ask for Santa Marian Kamalen to intercede for us during these troubled times! Biba Kåtoliku!!
ReplyDeleteGod bless you Tim for getting the truth out and God bless you Monsignor James for being the man and wonderful priest that you are....Many of us, at some time or another in our lives, have worked for vile, despicable people and did our best under those horrible circumstances. We can only begin to try to imagine what conditions, personal pain, and oppression you had to work under. Your selfless work was truly Christ-like in that you never once lowered yourself to their (Archbishop's) level. Your strength, especially now, should be a source of inspiration for every Catholic on Guam and everywhere.
ReplyDeleteLOL. You see folks all Archbishop had Terlaje had to do was call for a sit down meeting to provide information to clear the perception. But noooooooooooo, the liars have and want to execute their agenda.
ReplyDeleteWhy did AAA, the publisher, Sister Marian Arroyo, the executive director, and Tony Diaz, the editor decided to publish this garbage in the "Umatuna Si Yuus, the Roman Catholic Newspaper of the Årchdiocese of Agana Guam"? This is not where you should air your dirty laundry. I have always looked forward to reading, reflecting and sharing the "good news" from this Catholic newspaper on Sundays. This is truly not in line with your mission, clearly printed on page 2: "Our mission is to print and distribute a true report of the Roman Catholic Church's ministry of changing lives through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Please read that mission carefully people and see if you agree with me that this truly violates that their own mission. No, your mission is much more obvious than you think. It is clearly to violate Monsignor Benavente's reputation (and rights) and to deflect from their own growing problems. And if you think this scandal is affecting Monsignor James, I saw him yesterday at mass and he was his usual cheery, humble self, greeting all the people before and after mass, as usual. It seems the more lies you throw at him, the stronger and more dignified he gets, and the worse you look. Stop this already! It affects all the faithful Catholics on Guam who have to witness this childish, dirty mess. It will come back to hurt you seven-fold.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous (January 26, 2015 at 10:21 AM), as far as I know the Archdiocesan Internal Review Report of Cathedral-Basilica and the Catholic Cemeteries was not published in the 25 January 2015 edition of the U Matuna Si Yu’os but was distributed over the weekend as an INSERT in that publication which, according to the banner, is the “Roman Catholic Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Agana, Guam.”
DeleteThe U Matuna Si Yu’os is the “official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Agana” so I find it quite curious that this Internal Review Report was not first featured in the “official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Agana” but rather in the mainstream media (PDN and MV-Guam).
What I find even more curious is that it was none other than Chancellor Adrian Cristobal who released the information to the media. With Msgr. James Benavente still waiting to meet with Chancery officials regarding the charges made against him, should the Chancellor not have extended the courtesy of giving the Report to Msgr. James before releasing it to the local media?
Was it so important to release the Report to the Catholics throughout the island that an INSERT had to be printed instead of waiting to feature the Report in the upcoming 1 February 2015 edition of the U Matuna Si Yu’os?
But wait!! Last year, after the 10 August 2014 edition of the official newspaper of the Archdiocese was printed and set out for distribution on the afternoon of Friday 8 August, there was a frenzied recall of that issue and a SECOND version was printed in time for distribution that weekend. As a matter of fact, there was even the clarification by Editor Tony Diaz that there were TWO versions of the 10 August issue: the original edition which was pulled “because of errors” AND the OFFICIAL August 10, 2014 U Matuna Si Yu’os ON RECORD. (my emphases)
If the Chancery could arrange the reprinting of that edition on such short notice, could the same not have been done so that the Archdiocesan Internal Review Report of Cathedral-Basilica and the Catholic Cemeteries would have been featured FIRST in the “official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Agana” and then picked up by the mainstream media?
Or did the Chancery not want this Internal Review Report to be a part of the OFFICIAL and ON RECORD edition of the U Matuna Si Yu’os in case the Apostolic Visitators are continuing to monitor the activities of the Archbishop and the events in the Archdiocese?
MR. Rohr; if this serves a purpose please post otherwise....file 13
ReplyDeletepart 1
January 25, 2015
LOCAL CATHOLIC FAITHFUL - INTERNAL NEO REVIEW REPORT OF THE CHANCERY, THE CATHEDRAL-BASILICA AND THE CATHOLIC CEMETERIES
A local Catholic Faithful of the Island in the past several hours has been conducting an internal NEO review of the mismanagement of the Chancery, the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica and the Catholic Cemeteries of Guam, Inc. following a determination by the non-NEO accounting firm of the local Catholic Faithful that the mismanaged NEO Catholic Cemeteries was not auditable. Following the appointment of the current misdeRector, Monsignor David C. Quitugua, cooked up grave irregularities were rediscovered involving the administration of the entities which were formerly administered by Monsignor James Benavente (“Msgr. Benavente”), prior to July 25, 2014. Specifically, the following are some of the cooked up irregularities noted:
(1) “Brother” Anthony Sablan Apuron the (wolf) in shepherds clothing (salivating for Red Hat) tasked Msgr. Benavente as the administrator of the Cathedral-Basilica and The Catholic Cemeteries to developed projects which (would make wolf look good in Rome) resulted in the Archdiocese incurring $7 million dollars ($7,029,853.93), which (wolf) then consolidated in 2009 from different loans held at the Bank of Hawaii and Bank of Guam to First Hawaiian Bank, and (wolf) re-financed again in 2012. These two entities have the largest indebtedness of all other entities in the Archdiocese, and in 2013, a review (of the black bag financial principals) balances indicated that the overall reduction of their indebtedness was less than the average 20% reduction by other Archdiocesan entities. Another (wolf) project that was formerly administered by Msgr. Benavente is indebted for $2.2 million dollars as of 2013, and due to its NEO financial condition has only been paying interest on its outstanding debt, up to August 2014. These three entities constitute approximately 37% of the total NEO indebtedness of the Archdiocese (the remaining indebtedness represents all parishes and catholic schools).
(2) Msgr. Benavente as the administrator of the Cathedral-Basilica and Catholic Cemeteries, was NEO forced to commingled funds and transferred funds between the two entities without respect of the NEO black bag restrictions on siphoned funds -- i.e. cemetery funds were used for payroll of Cathedral-Basilica NEO employees; NEO monies restricted to stipend payments for the NEO clergy were used to pay for NEO loans; also, a pervasive NEO practice was evident in the reimbursements for NEO chancery personal credit card payments – these NEO practices resulted in extremely difficult record keeping, under the black bag financial principles, to apply generally accepted NEO principles of accounting, and most importantly making verification and audit by auditors impossible.
part 2
ReplyDelete(3) Between January 2009 and July 2014, “Brother” Anthony Sablan Apuron received payments of $326,913.61 by simultaneously drawing payroll and stipends from The Catholic Cemeteries, and stipend payments from the Cathedral-Basilica. Upon the change to a NEO friendly administration, credit cards in the name of the Archdiocese were discovered holding NEO balances in excess of $60,000; the credit card in the name of The Catholic Cemeteries was specifically used by “Brother” Anthony Sablan Apuron for five star restaurants, first class air fare, the Shangri-La Hotel in Manila and other five star Hotels. In the same period, The Catholic Cemeteries and the Cathedral-Basilica expended more than $123,000 towards credit card payments to First Hawaiian Bank and American Express. Other payments for a credit card in the name of “Brother” Anthony Sablan Apuron, a gas card, and cellular/data phone privileges, which were paid for by The Catholic Cemeteries, accounted for an additional $23,000. Notably, $13,000 of cemetery funds were gifted to Msgr. Benavente’s 20th Anniversary reception. Total advances documented between January 2009 and July 2014 by both entities for “Brother” Anthony Sablan Apuron are nearly $475,000. This does not include cemetery family crypts valued at $380,000.00, which were gifted by “Brother” Anthony Sablan Apuron to his close NEO friends and family; in other words, no fee was charged for these cemetery plots.
(4) Under the NEO administration, $400,000 in past due obligations for the Cathedral-Basilica and The Catholic Cemeteries accrued; the past due NEO obligation is as of July 25, 2014, and does not include the $7 million dollar obligation owed to the First Hawaiian Bank. For the Cathedral-Basilica, $188,000 of the past due obligations are for insurance premiums, and the monthly income generated by the Cathedral-Basilica is insufficient to pay for both past due and current insurance premiums, utility and other expenses, and bank loans. The current financial condition of the Cathedral-Basilica is in the red. Notwithstanding its financial condition, “Brother” Anthony Sablan Apuron granted NEO education scholarships for tuition, substantial donations for NEO medical assistance, NEO employee loans, and other NEO donations from parish funds. Another $27,000 of parish funds were gifted to pay for Msgr. Benavente’s non-NEO projects involving the Knights (papal honors).
part 3
ReplyDelete(5) Deloitte & Touche on January 8, 2014, notified the Archdiocese that The Catholic Cemeteries was not auditable due to significant NEO black bag accounting deficiencies. One of the cooked up issues identified was the long-term care (aka perpetual care) liability, which was not accurately NEO reflected in the financial statements, nor was it properly NEO allocated in its records; specifically, prior sales were recorded as NEO revenue rather than setting aside any portion for long term care. Due to NEO management and the passage of more than six months from the report, no progress were allowed to be completed or noted to address this major issue; nor was there any set NEO funds set aside and designated as perpetual care funds to conform to the recommendation; the Deloitte & Touche report showed a NEO liability of $800,000 in long term care which during 2013 grew to more than $1.3 million. Since the change of misadministration, the NEO Perpetual Care Fund has been established with an approximate balance of $30,000, in just a few short months.
Despite the lack of NEO auditability and the NEO irregularities identified, no NEO progress has been made these past five months in an expansive effort to collect, compile and review the financial data for both the Cathedral-Basilica and The Catholic Cemeteries. Significant NEO efforts are being advanced to ensure that both entities are able to meet their financial NEO obligations, which include NEO financial assistance from the Archdiocese for the Cathedral-Basilica, and the establishment of a NEO Perpetual Care Fund to address the current perpetual care liability issues. The Archdiocese of Agana, in its NEO commitment of no transparency, will continue the purpose for which the internal review was initiated - to acknowledge the necessity of NEO reorganizing the administration in order to move the Archdiocese of Agana into an NEO inauditable condition.
** This Local Internal Review Report is also available online at www.notneoguam.org **
NEO-CHANCERY OFFICE 196 CUESTA SAN RAMON STE. B HAGATNA, GUAM 96910 Tel (671) NEO-only
Well edited. Amen!
DeleteDon't know where to put this but I hear the Fatima Pilgrim Image will be arriving in Guam sometime in the beginning of Feb.
ReplyDeleteWell, she will probably shed real tears in Guam. That will go viral. Sure is enought to make the blessed mother cry. Dont laugh.
DeleteShe already shed real tears thru Mrs. K.
DeleteTrue 6:09! I didn't think of it that way. Very true.
DeleteOk so that information needs to be put in the Umatuna for this coming Sunday
ReplyDeletelet's all pick up an umatuna next week and leave it on the ground of the church property, to make a statement. or heck let's have a dropoff place and take a photo of the entire pile which represents the heap of trash those folks put out. then a bonfire. shame on them. seriously an all new LOW. even those on the fence say you should be ashamed of yourselves.
ReplyDeleteWell now we know the true story!
ReplyDeleteSister Cecilia Camacho,RSM, superior of the Mercy Sisters on GUAM, Arekla si Sister M. Arroyo. Sent her back to the convent she was incardinated in....Sacred Hearts Belmont NC.
ReplyDeleteSister Marian Arroyo, straighten up and fly right!! What will you do when new administrator arrives?? Now you embarass your superior and community. What happened to you?? We pray for you and your brother Bibi.
DeleteIf Archie says put insert in U Matuna, then Sister Arroyo has to do it. So be it. Don't blame her!!
DeleteI totally agree with Anon: Jan 26-12:46p.m. Sr. Cecilia put fabot arekla si Marian sa kulan baba'ba I ilu-na! (Sr. Cecilia PLEASE straighten up Marian...it seems she's loosing her mind)
DeleteWhy does the Sisters of Mercy need a liaison- Sister Marian- for the Cathedral's Parish Finance Council? Sister is part of the Chancery Team to get trash Monsignor James. Sister Cecilia - Sister Marian is hurting the good name of the Sisters of Mercy.
DeleteFor your information, Monsignor James actually secured a $70-90 per night at the Shangri La hotel and when they started raising the favorable rates on him, he started looking elsewhere. This favorable rate is as cheap as a motel!!!!
ReplyDelete3.00pm correct.
DeleteEVERYONE, STOP GIVING MONEY TO THIS ARCHDIOCESE...PERIOD! THESE IDIOTS WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE FINANCIAL RUIN.
DeleteJust this afternoon, I run into a family member to Triple AAA. She told me that the three people behind all these damaging accusations against Msgr. James Benavente is Adrian Bally Balls, Barbie Marian Arroyo and Diva Coreen Leon Guerrero! She should remove her Leon Guerrero name because Patrick will never come back to her again, he is treated by his Saipanese wife as a King. Triple AAA families are telling him that he is being undermine and used by these the Chancery's monsters to destroy him! Bally Balls Adrian is jealous of Msgr James because he is a candidate to be the next Bishop.
ReplyDeleteSo is Adrian. ;))
DeleteHow dare you people!!! What the heck kind of CHRISTIANS are you to personally attack my Auntie?! It does not matter who she is married to or who my uncle is married to, she will always be welcomed as an LG.
DeletePeople like you are the reason why I would NEVER go back to the Catholic church.
Tai Mamalao!
6:10pm, no amount of trickery is going to convince the readers of this blog that Adrian and crew are operating without the knowledge of Apuron. It's his way of claiming plausible deniability, but we all know that everything that happens at the chancery is by his own command. Even if the orders are rooted in Pius and the Gennarinis, Apuron holds the office that is accountable for these crimes against morality. He should be careful lest the pope decide to publicly end his reign with the same lack of respect and dignity he has shown to Msgr. Benavente. Sadly, this has gone too far. I no longer hope for peace, but pray for victory!
ReplyDeleteEverone gots their hoohaas all rattled about this "report" meant to throw you off the stanky pervasive scent emanating from Heretic Hill!
ReplyDeleteMy initial thought after reading that report is SO WHAT?! Whoever put it together just described to me, in detail, the ORDINARY COURSE OF BUSINESS regarding the two entities under Monsignor Benavente's purview. There is nothing that shows intent to commit theft or fraud or cause intentional financial harm to the the two entities, let alone the whole Archdiocese. Au contraire!
It's been done that way for 20 years! That's more than enough time to establish the usual customs and practices as found in the report and Tim's explanation helps to reinforce that fact. Adding more support to this is the Archbishop himself who is responsible for all that goes on under his upturned nose. The fact that it's been operating this way and he didnt make changes earlier implies that he too accepted this practice and if he claims otherwise, then he has no business being a leader of anything because that would just make him inept and derelict of duty.
No, do not be fooled and led astray from what really needs to be done and undone to achieve peace and unity in this Archdiocese! Look to the hill. See the usurper and the heretics, the liar and the willing puppet. Stay the course and be steadfast. Msgr. Benavente will have his day and will be vindicated, "...no doubt, no doubt!" It's the failed spiritual leadership and leaders in this Archdiocese that will NOT be vindicated, who by engaging in deceit, smear tactics, theft, envy, jealousy, lies and more lies become like their true father, the great liar himself, the lord of the flies! They will be stepped on and humbled beneath the feet of St. Michael the Archangel for not giving God ALL the glory!
Word!
DeleteCheck this out!!!!
ReplyDeleteCheck this out!
ReplyDeletehttp://lasvegas.blockshopper.com/news/story/641546-Four-bedroom_home_sells_in_Southern_Highlands_subdivision
Four-bedroom home sells in Southern Highlands subdivision
ReplyDeleteby BlockShopper News Service, published Dec. 10, 2013 ShareThis
Anthony S. Apuron sold a four-bedroom, three-bath home at 4299 Livorno Ave., in Las Vegas (Unincorporated), to Sheila Y. Neste and Barry T. Neste for $290,000 on Dec. 6.
Built in 2001, the 2,558-square-foot, one-story home last sold for $237,711 in April 2001. It is located in the Southern Highlands subdivision.
According to BlockShopper, there have been 20,195 home sales in Las Vegas (Unincorporated) during the past 12 months with a median sale price of $140,000.
Filed under: Las Vegas (Unincorporated)
Address: Single Family4299 Livorno Avenue
Buyer(s): Sheila Y Neste and Barry T Neste
Seller(s): Anthony S Apuron
Sale date: Dec. 6, 2013
ReplyDeleteWhere did the money come from to buy this property?
Originally a loan from Bank of Guam. Then a contribution from a stateside donor to pay off the balance of the loan. The donor was found through the hard work and good graces of our local carmelite nuns.
DeleteGiven the Archbishops gangs latest slime, I suggest the above info from Anonymous January 27, 2015 at 5:38 PM be posted as a new page for all to see!
ReplyDeleteI wonder which US investigative news show would be interested in this fiasco..60 minutes, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Fox , CNN.. to speed up the death of this "cancer" or will it take 3, 4, 5, ..10 million page views before this is over
ReplyDeleteregarding; Anonymous January 29, 2015 at 5:00 PM
ReplyDeleteI wrote to this reporter
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/14897510/t/investigative-reporter-bill-dedman-looking-story-ideas-documents/#.VMrkYWjF8pk
I hope, way before 3 million views
DeleteMajor cable networks news studying Apuron case for possible Holy week material.
The arch and his cronies--LIARS! LIARS! LIARS!!!
ReplyDeleteForgot to sing my name to my comment posted as eileenbb.
DeleteEileen Benavente-Blas
I'd like to know the value of the cemetery crypts that were provided for the remains of those whose graves were removed when the road was widened at the cemetery. Both my grandmothers' graves were removed as the road is now where their graves were. There was no cost to our family. How many graves were relocated and what was the value and is this included in what the arch and his cronies claim was Msgr. James' alleged misuse of funds? I am appalled that the arch and his cronies can even look at their lying faces in the mirror and not see the devil looking back at them. Is this their way of living the example of Christ? Christ in His divine mercy will forgive them but that is no excuse for their diabolical actions.
ReplyDeleteEileen Benavente-Blas
eileenbb wrote: "Christ in His divine mercy will forgive them but that is no excuse for their diabolical actions." There is no Divine Mercy if the evil doer does not repent and ask for forgiveness -- not just from God but from his victims!
DeleteYou are right. They must ask for forgiveness first. So, they are doomed to the devil. It must be difficult to keep their horns hidden, their tail folded up and out of the way. By the by, has anyone ever seen the arch and his cronies barefooted? No??? Hard to disguise cloven hoofs...
DeleteEileen Benavente-Blas
I would like to suggest that someone, more articulate than I am, contact John L. Allen, Jr. senior correspondent of the National Catholic Reporter, also. He is very much respected in the Vatican and, if made interested, might report about what's going on here. If you want to know more about him, google him or look him up on YouTube. He also writes for the Boston-based newspaper, CRUX, which reports on news of worldwide interest "concerning all things catholic," which is their slogan .
ReplyDeleteGlenn Beck writes about inconvenient truths. He has an even wider readership whether you are for or against his ideas. The attempted neo invasion of Guam might be a lucrative deal for him.
ReplyDelete