Why is it that 75 years after the Japanese invaded Guam, and 72 years after they were thrown out, are some still demanding "reparation?" What's wrong with "I'm sorry, can't we all get along," as certain people think we should do with Apuron and his ilk? (By the way, I'll have more to say about those war reparations another time.)
The answer is in the word "reparation": REPAIR.
I haven't heard the expression in a while, but back when I was kid I remember hearing when someone hurt someone else and they wanted to show that they were really sorry, not only did they say they were sorry, they would say "I"ll make it up to you."
Nowhere in this world or the next does an "I'm sorry" suffice. There is always the requirement to "make it up to you," whether it be returning a stolen item, imposed community service, jail time, or purgatory. In short, "I'm sorry" does NOT wipe away "temporal punishment due to sin." The reason for this is that our God is NOT only "all-Merciful" and "all-Loving," He is also ALL-JUST.
When our first parents sinned against God, God did not ask Adam and Eve if they were sorry. Of course they were sorry, but they were deported from the Garden and sentenced to a life of hard labor and death anyway. And even with that, God's justice was not satisfied. The infinite God had been infinitely offended, and the only possibility of restoring (reparation) all to its original state was for God to die for God: infinite Justice.
Our earthly laws mirror God's, because, whether someone believes in God or not, we are created in his image and his law (natural law) is etched into our being. Thus those calling for war reparations did not have to quote the bible, they only needed to call on natural law: "justice."
After my last two posts on the matter of "forgiveness," I received several comments indicating that many people are confused about this. In responding to one critic saying that I should forgive Apuron if he apologized. I replied cryptically, "We don't need his apology." My answer was intended to set up this post on "reparation," but it was taken (as expected) to appear that I was just on some personal vendetta to destroy Apuron and that I was letting my anger "fester." LOL.
The accusation reminded me of my meeting with Archbishop Hon in January 2015 when I was called before the Visitators.
The meeting went cordially enough at first, but then Hon, aware that it was my blog which had been the genesis of the unrest which had resulted in his being sent to Guam and my sitting before him at that moment, began to delve into my motivations for my laborious and persistent effort to expose Apuron.
I freely shared a story about how the actions of our pastor when I was growing up, and the inaction of his bishop, had led to my father's loss of faith and the destruction of my family, including my brother's death.
I also shared a story about the torture, murder, and extortion of Catholic high school kids in a school where I was a teacher in the Caribbean. This terror occurred and was allowed to persist because the bishop did not want to know the truth about the principal of the school who was the personal friend of the bishop as well as the town alcoholic, a gay prostitute, and a hebephile, and who was blackmailed into permitting a deadly drug ring to operate in the school through one of the teachers. (Cardinal O'Malley will know about this. He was appointed to succeed the bishop I helped to oust.)
Archbishop Hon thought he had hit on the source of my "anger" after I shared these stories because on the surface it appeared that I had been personally wounded and was just getting "even" with these past experiences by taking out my "anger" on Apuron. (Archbishop Krebs and Fr. Ted were also at this meeting - just to let you know that I'm not making this up.)
As soon as Hon tried to make this point - that all of this was just "personal," I put my hand in his face and stopped him. And with controlled volcanic rage I said this:
NO! I AM THE FATHER OF ELEVEN CHILDREN WHO IS TRYING TO GET THEIR SOULS INTO HEAVEN, AND I AM HAVING TO FIGHT AGAINST BISHOPS LIKE YOU TO DO IT.
Let me translate that for you. My, or our, "anger" is NOT personal. His victims aside, very few of us have been "personally offended" by Apuron. Thus, no apology from him will suffice because no apology is needed. What Apuron and his ilk have done (as well as many of the world's bishops) is NOT personally offend us, rather they have damaged our Church for our children and our children's children.
And to REPAIR it, Apuron (whenever I say Apuron, that also includes Pius, David, Adrian et al), must not only be ousted, they must be made an example of as a sign to abusive bishops and clerics everywhere who for decades, because of the public trust invested in them by virtue of their appointments and sacred orders, have destroyed families, parishes, dioceses, and now, under the guise of "an itinerary of faith formation," have institutionalized their program of destruction.
To be continued
Does anyone know what the latest is with the trial of Apuron? Diana says that Rome has received the testimony of the victims. Is this true?
ReplyDeleteApuron's sex abuse allegations and the local public uproar over them served as a catalyst to get the ball rolling on the 30 year stack of stuff they already had on Apuron. His trial won't be about the sex abuse. There is so much more stuff that is much easier to prove. They'll address the sex abuse because they have to, but it will only be the frosting on a dung cake.
DeleteI think JW should adopt 2 Timothy 4:1-5 as its solomn charge.
ReplyDeleteThank You Tim for pointing out this need for Justice, King David a man after the Lord's Heart, chosen by God himself committed adultery and then murder, and after his repentance and contrition acknowledging the grave sins he has committed, received forgiveness, However Divine justice required certain reparations from King David, and the life of the child borne out of the adulterous relationship dies, His wives are given to his neighbor, a rebellion of his sons against their father also arose as foretold by the Lord through the prophet Nathan. (2 Sam 11 & 12). The office of King is a high office required of this man by God to lead and teach the people of God, therefore much responsibility and accountability is expected of him whom much is given by the Lord. Christus Dominus, the decree concerning the pastoral office of bishops, Preface #2 tells us that the person chosen to the office of Bishop, a direct representative of the apostles is appointed by the Holy Spirit, and in this office much is required of that person to be Shepherd, Teacher and Father of the Lord's sheep and lambs. From scripture, it then appears that there is no sin beyond God's ability to forgive, assuming one is repentant and seeking God's forgiveness. Temporal punishment or consequences of our sins are those reparations that we will eventually have to face in this life or the next.
ReplyDeletebishops did nothing to your Children, Tim it's all about you and your Hate!!
ReplyDeleteLOL. So what if it is, even if it isn't. Prove me wrong. The pope thinks I'm right. Courage 😎
DeleteProve me wrong!! one of your so-call victim been talking??
DeleteLOL. Come on be a man. Put your name on your accusation.
DeleteAnon @3:35 PM Bishops did not hurt the children, but your Tony Apuron did, and when/If you approve of his actions, it makes you a child molester too asshole. Go meditate on that..
DeleteAnon 4:55 PM..what's the matter??..you scared of the Victim(s) cause YOU know they speak the truth and YOU don't...I guess it's time to get your running shoes on and head for the border..LOL..
DeleteTim, thank you very much, you are an example for me, God bless you!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteSince there is no personal offence, no personal apology is needed from the side of Archbishop Apuron et alii, and no personal forgiveness needs to be extended from your side because there is nothing really to forgive personally.
You say further that Archbishop Apuron and others have damaged the Church. It follows, since we are a part of the Church damaged by their actions, both you and I have been damaged and offended, albeit in some other, non-personal way.
So at this non-personal level there HAS BEEN a damaging offence or series of offences, and if recognized by the Vatican, there WILL BE retribution (at least in the case of AAA at the conclusion of his canonical trial). And the offender, if repentant, would be expected to seek forgiveness for his offence(s) at a non-personal, communal, ecclesial level; and we should “forgive [him] who [has] trespassed against us,” at this same level.
And as I posted previously, should the forgiveness seeking and forgiveness granting occur publicly, even the angels in heaven will weep for joy.
Mr. Guile, did you not see and hear ArchNEO Cult Presbyter Apuron's claim with the illustrious Vatican in the background that he is innocent of any of these "Calamities". He already pleaded to all as "The Archbishop of Agana" on top of all the saints buried in that holy place where Saint Peter's remains are buried that he is innocent. Now you are asking us to grant him forgiveness should he seek it after the canonical trial finds him guilty? This man already had his chance to save face....As "The Archbishop of Agana" he chose to continue his lies and deception for all to hear and see. I personally don't know what everyone will say, but anyone that continually practiced to deceive especially in that Holy Place does not deserve to be forgiven.
DeleteGuile: don't take it personally when I offend you, just forgive me.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 6:03:
DeleteThe words of the Our Father have great meaning for me, and I pray that they have great meaning for you, too.
Yes Timothy; they have great meaning especially to those who own up to their trespasses, those who trespassed and publicly renounced that they trespassed in a public forum (vivid color video with Vatican City with people praying in the backdrop) is totally undeserving of our forgiveness; especially when it takes both a canonical trial and a civil law suite to prove that he is guilty for sure for sure....
DeleteMr G, spinning the Lord's truth and messing with our credence, which has been done in so many dioceses, is a personal offence to all faithful, seeing as you are so out of the loop about these things. You may be unaware that in the Catholic Church is a tradition of highly valuing what we are told by our superiors.
DeleteThank you, Tim. I have enjoyed and have learned much from your series on “Forgiveness” and “Reparation.” I especially like the perspective on non-festering anger, anger absent of hate, as a force that propels one to do good and take necessary actions to right the wrongs (Part 1). There are times when being nice ALL THE TIME doesn’t change an ugly situation. Instead, in that dynamic, the “nice one” becomes a doormat as the ugly situation continues. Doesn’t that dynamic sound like the three decades of local the Church with the “nice ones” being the laity and the one creating the ugly condition being Abp Apuron, the NCW leadership, and others who supported their works? Anger as a force to effect a change for the better is, I agree, a necessary anger. This necessary anger belies the actions taken today by the laity and the survivors of child abuse to clean up the local Church (yet, still much clean-up lies ahead). If not for that anger, the local Faithful --- the Body of Christ --- would still be serving as doormat to Abp Apuron and his goons. This type of anger is, in a way, is a beautiful force because of the beautiful fruit that it eventually produces, fruit borne out of love. I am reminded of Walter’s and Roy’s press conferences this past summer where they emphasized the clarity in their minds that they love the Church despite bringing a civil suit against her, and it is the subsequent arrogance of Abp Apuron that they detest for which they would like to dismantle his power in the Church because it was very much misused. They are using their anger as a force for change toward the good, their anger supported by their continued love for the Church.
ReplyDeleteIn Part 2, I liked your technical explanation of our Catholic practice on forgiveness and how you made the distinction between (1) absolution for a sin and (2) absolution for a sin which is both a sin and a crime. Currently, Abp Apuron’s canonical trial is of the acts he has committed that are both a sin and a crime. I think, the local Church has decided that for all the public harm caused by Abp. Apuron (and his gang of enablers), laicization for him and others of his clergy goons is one of the things that must happen to make things right, as repatriation to the local Church; followed by lots of clean-up work so that the local Church functions healthily in all fronts. Add to the discussion on forgiveness is Daniel Lifschitz’s very wise commentary, a reminder that, because of God’s omniscient nature, with His ability to go far back into our individual lives and personal histories, God will take into consideration all that has influenced and weakened our ability to follow Jesus before pronouncing judgment upon each of us --- a judgment that will be for eternity. The focus, therefore, should be on the Church’s role to help each of us to obtain the judgment of eternal life in heaven (which is what you told the Visitators in Jan 2015 is the motivation for your work).
As to Part 3, I specifically appreciate your account of your meeting with Abp Hon et al in January 2015. I have wondered from time to time of the dedication behind your work with JungleWatch. I’m very mindful of the tons of time, energy, research, and many other of your resources to maintain this blog. To undertake the role of gadfly to Abp Apuron and to the workings of the local NCW leadership is a complicated role. But, it is clear that the undertaking is a labor of love for the Church and, by extension, the Church’s work to ensure that each of the Faithful ultimately receives the gift of salvation --- eternal life in heaven. As I write this, I’m overwhelmed simply thinking about your undertaking! It is enormous … but, as I previously wrote in one of my comments, I see that that you do the necessary, then you do the possible, suddenly you are doing the impossible (St. Francis of Assisi). In hindsight, it appears that Abp Hon came around because of your meeting with the Visitators in January 2015 and saw that your gadfly role was not a personal vendetta after all. In that same year, by his own account to thte PDN, he issued a “To Do” list to Abp. Apuron subsequent to that January visitation/investigation (none of which Apuron did for 1-1/2 years he was given time to do them). In that same year Abps. Hon and Krebs recommended the start for a search for a coadjutor for Guam. I believe your non-festering anger got through to the Visitators loud and clear also evidenced by the suspension of Abp Apuron this past summer.
ReplyDeleteLastly, you wrote in Part 2 about what you credit as Abp Apuron’s episcopal motto, "no one can get me." This reminded me of Philippine hero, Jose Rizal, author of the novel “Noli me Tangere” (circa 1887). That title is Latin for “touch me not” (loose English translation). Doesn’t that sound like Abp Apuron’s motto? “Noli Me Tangere” exposed the corruption and abuse of the Spanish government and the clergy towards the Philippine people and exposed the ills of the Philippine society. The larger part of the novel is Rizal’s veiled way of dis-edifying and satirizing the clergy who, in his opinion, were the "social cancer" of the Church, exemplified by the decadent state of the clergy’s lifestyle (who from the Archdiocese of Agana does that remind you of?). Like you, although Rizal’s love for his country and Church was great, it was not a blind, unreflecting love. While he was fearless in denouncing the evils of the Church, he was not fearless in pointing out that those evils were part of the Church because of they allowed it to happen (apathy, you called that) --- our own mistakes, our own vices, our supine and culpable acquiescence to these evils. As gadfly to the Church on Guam, you are in good company with Jose Rizal and the local Church is all the better for it. Thank you!
Rose, thank you for an excellent synopsis and legitimizing the anger that precipated the ongoing picketing. Want to express our immense gratitude to Tim, CCOG, LMF for their tireless efforts in exposing the evil that Apuron and his cohorts perpetrated to
ReplyDeletedestroy our Church. Progress has been made but the battle is not over. Ann A.
Seriously, Guile, I only post your comments so all can see what a Christian shouldn't be. You are Exhibit A. You have no audience in real life because no one gives a shit about what you say. So you use my blog to pretend you matter. Keep sending them.
DeleteNot only Exhibit A, but even a shriveled leathern flask: "Though I am shriveled like a leathern flask in the smoke, I have not forgotten your statutes" (Ps 119: 83)
DeleteLOL. You never tire of talking about yourself. Well, WE DO!
DeleteYes, Ann, for the local Faithful through, you and your perosnal effort to help clean up the Church (yes, every single person can help improve the archdiocese in his/her own way), the FLM, CCOG and JungleWatch, the culpable acquiescence to the evils that plague the local Church is diminishing. Thank God!
DeleteWhat's needed for sentencing in clerical cases that aren't tried by civil Courts is the return of penitential monasteries. Traditional ones. Not country clubs.
ReplyDeletePerverts and their enablers, like Apuron and Bernard Law, should not be allowed to retire in luxury or simply leave the priesthood. Give them the hair shirts, bread and water they deserve!
Guile sounds like a pedophile to me.
ReplyDeleteguile
Deleteɡīl/
noun
sly or cunning intelligence.
"he used all his guile and guts to free himself from the muddle he was in"
synonyms: cunning, craftiness, craft, artfulness, art, artifice, wiliness, slyness, deviousness;