THE CONCERNED CATHOLICS OF GUAM, INC.
Guam Catholics to Gather for
Prayer Rally and Motorcade
For Immediate Release - April 24, 2015
Hagatna, Guam - The Concerned Catholics of Guam (CCOG) today announced that the organization will be hosting an island-wide prayer rally and motorcade on Sunday, May 3, 2015. The rally is being organized to appeal for justice, accountability, and action from the archdiocese’s leadership, which has remained silent on controversial issues facing the Catholic community on Guam.
Despite repeated letters and requests from members of the Concerned Catholics of Guam to meet with Archbishop Anthony Apuron to begin a dialogue on these issues, Archbishop Apuron continues to hide behind a veil of secrecy and is completely out of touch with the people of God in the Archdiocese of Agana.
“We are again appealing that Archbishop Apuron come to his senses and to reach out, in a genuine and tangible way, to a hurting and divided Church on Guam. We have waited too long and his style of leadership and silence cannot be tolerated any longer,” said Greg Perez, president of Concerned Catholics of Guam, Inc.
“I’m inviting everyone to please join us for this island-wide prayer rally and motorcade to send a clear message to Pope Francis and to Rome that nothing has been done to reconcile and reunite our Church. We want justice, accountability, and a real effort to move our church forward.”
Letter and Email Campaign
Guam Catholics are also being encouraged to begin a second campaign of letters, emails, and phone calls to Vatican officials in Rome concerning the inaction, lack of leadership, and lack of transparency from Archbishop Apuron and the Chancery Office.
Earlier this year, high-ranking Vatican officials visited Guam for what the archdiocese dubbed a“pastoral visit”. Instead the visit was in fact investigatory in nature with a quietly kept schedule of events and meetings with concerned individuals, public officials, and clergy members.
CCOG is confident that the tremendous outcry and communication outpour led to the high-level visit of Vatican officials. Residents are encouraged to send their letters and emails to:
Archbishop Martin Krebs AND Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, S.D.B. Apostolic Nunciature Secretary
P.O.Box 14044, 112 Queen's Drive, Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
Wellington, New Zealand Palazzo di Propaganda Fide, 00187
By Phone: (+64-4) 3873470 By Email: segreteria@propagandafide.va
By Fax: (+64-4) 3878170
Media Contact:
Gregory Perez at 727-3233 or David Sablan at 482-4647
Hope NO COMMENTS here means everyone is busy communicating with each other about what to do next....concrete....c''mon you guys!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, 8:29 pm, we are totally involved in this effort to put some sense into our beloved Catholic Church. Some of us are taking a breather because we are overwhelmed by such a blatant disregard for dignity and reason by the archbishop of Guam. Plus it is a weekend, and charity begins at home. The anger is there but we need to stay sane in the midst of a long drawn-out battle. Archbishop could end this nonsense but we know he is not in charge. He is in too deep in neo trance to be dissuaded to do the right thing. The Vatican is cowed to inaction by the neo infiltration in the Church and its attempt to maintain a veneer of benevolence. Meanwhile, Guam is being thrown to the dogs and the trashy and woefully arrogant neo movement.
ReplyDeleteCanon 401.2 reads: "A diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office."
ReplyDeleteIMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ARCHBISHOP: Have you ever read Canon 401.2 of the Code of Canon Law? If not, would you read it - and reflect! Would this Canon be possibly referring to YOU, or are you too dumb to see that it is? Put your glasses on; put your thinking cap on (never mind the mitre); put your soul into it. OR ARE YOU ABOVE THE LAW?
ReplyDeleteThe arch is incapable of independent thought. He is the puppet of his neo masters. Nothing will change as long as he is the faux archbishop of Guam. He needs a mental health intervention. I say that in all seriousness.
ReplyDeleteLet us pray and urge the faculty, parents and student body of St Thomas Aquinas High to come out with us on May 3rd to display our enormous disdain in Archbishop Apuron's leadership.
ReplyDeleteThe way the Church is structured is so crazy. I mean, who compels a bishop who develops mental illness to get a medical review and diagnosis? The monarchical structure without another body that ascertains the soundness of someone's reign can fester for a long time to the detriment of constituents. Its not lime apuron would willingly check into a rehab clinic because he is too proud for his own good. Let the current chaos be an indictment on the various councils in place who are unable and unwilling to confront archbishop on these matters. Is there a presbyteral council, a board akin to congress, that will salvage the remnants of destruction caused by the madness of king anthony?
ReplyDelete10:06 pm, while I truly understand the point you are making, this thought process is part of the problem. Many, not all, believe the Church should run like a democracy. It's evident by the constant assertion that our leader must meet a list of demands in order to "heal" this rift. I know that some will say that the people are the church and the leader is accountable to them, but I don't believe that to be true. The core is not the people, but the FAITH its members have. The leader is not accountable to the people, he's accountable to his superior. This is why the Pope, when speaking about the faith, is infallible. In a democratic society, no leader would be infallible because the dogma changes as society does. For all those who are suffering because of what is going on must appeal to his superior and PRAY, not make demands. Personally, I have had issues with the Archbishop and the NCW since 2006; however, I continue to focus on what I need to do to be the best Catholic that I can be. I'm not saying that people should stand back and let the Arch do what he wants, but they need to appeal to the next level and then pray they do the right thing. The longer this battle continues, the more it appears to be a struggle for POWER. Those who don't have it are doing everything they can to get it. I've discussed this issue with several friends who seem to agree that the Arch needs to step down OR be a leader, but if he meets the list of demands from the CCOG, it will be no different than being controlled by Kiko. I look forward to any replies that may challenge me to continue to reflect on the matter. I hope this happens instead of the usual "must be a neo" response to any comment that is not in full agreement.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you see a "list of demands"? AAA said he wants healing. We've heard it before and he has done nothing. This time the CCOG thought they'd help him out by letting him know what healing actually looks like.
DeleteEssentially the CCOG was just calling his bluff. He really doesn't want healing. He wants us all to shut up and go away. We know this because of the many times over the years many people have met with him and begged him to fix things before disaster struck. He ignored them.
And the bishop is not "accountable" to the people???? That's like saying I am not accountable to my children. Like hell I'm not.
No one is asking for a democratic society. You're the first one that I know of to mention it. What we are asking is for the bishop to stop lying to us and to stop abusing priests.