NEW BOOK CITES GUAM, APURON

New book on Catholic clergy sex abuse cover up cites Guam

A new book on sex abuse in the Catholic Church has cited the Guam church and former Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron's attempts to invalidate a 2016 Guam law lifting the civil statute of limitation for child sex abuses. CONTINUED

NOT TRUE

Today, the PDN reported: 

"Although a Vatican tribunal found former Guam Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron "guilty of certain of the accusations" involving sexual abuse of minors, questions remain about what the decision means for Apuron and the church."

NOT TRUE

There is NO question about what this means for Apuron or the church.

ONE: Apuron has been removed as Archbishop of Agana and Archbishop Byrnes is now Archbishop of Agana.

TWO: Apuron has been banned for life from his home.

THREE: Not defrocking Apuron keeps him subject to church authority which can exercise its control over Apuron for the rest of his life. And because Apuron remains incardinated in the Archdiocese of Agana, he is now, unless the Vatican says differently, under the authority of Archbishop Byrnes.

Apuron can appeal, which would suspend his sentence, but until the acceptance of appeal is announced either by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith or Archbishop Byrnes, the sentence remains in effect.

The issue also came up on the ChurchMilitant website. I left the following response which has not yet been published:

I am the one who Apuron publicly threatened to sue in May 2016 for my role in helping to make public these accusations against him. The entire drama is catalogued at my blog JungleWatch.info.  

Apuron's punishment was NOT a slap on the wrist. Laicization would have been the slap on the wrist as Apuron is privately wealthy and defrocking would have made Apuron a free man. 

Not defrocking him keeps him under the authority of his new superior, his replacement, Archbishop Byrnes. Additionally, the Vatican's punishment is more severe than any of us could have hoped for: 1) removal from office, and 2) banishment for life from his home.  

Compared to this, defrocking is a get out of jail free card. 

I also left the additional comment:

Also, .... in this matter, it is thanks to the pope that we in Guam can look forward to peace and healing. Apuron is a member of the Neocatechumenal Way whose strongest ally in Rome is Cardinal Filoni, aka "the Red Pope."  

The Tribunal completed its work last October, but probably thanks to Apuron's neocat protectors, the announcement of the sentence was delayed, delayed, delayed. In fact, the last word we had was that the Vatican was not going to release the sentence until after the local civil trial/mediation had been decided in order not to influence the civil decision.

The fact that the sentence was announced much earlier than anticipated is evidence that it was Pope Francis who caused the sentence to be published (since he is the only one who can ultimately sign off on a sentence against a bishop). 

In January and February, Apuron crashed two papal receiving lines in order to get photo ops with Francis to make it look like Francis was supporting him. Our sources confirm that Francis did not like being used in that way and immediately caused the sentence to be published. 

We need to stop being "defrock" happy. Defrocking sets a cleric free. It is much better that he has been retained as a cleric so that he will remain under church authority. Meanwhile, the pope removed Apuron from his office as Archbishop of Agana and banished him for life from ever living on this island again. 

This is one thing we in Guam are deeply grateful to this pope for doing, even though the political pressure to do nothing was immense. Thank you, Pope Francis. 

MY RESPONSE TO THIS LETTER

Posted by Tim

Letter: Never attack a priest, even if he falls

The author of this letter is quoting from “Our Lord’s revelations to Mutter Vogel” as found in the Pieta Prayerbook. This is private revelation and Catholics are not bound by it. 

Canon Law (212) actually requires Catholcis to engage their pastors when they see error:

"They have the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and position, to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church. They have the right also to make their views known to others of Christ’s faithful, but in doing so they must always respect the integrity of faith and morals, show due reverence to the Pastors and take into account both the common good and the dignity of individuals.”

The men who accused Apuron of molesting and abusing them simply stated what had happened to them and asked for Apuron to apologize. I am quite sure they would have been very willing to forgive had Apuron said he was sorry, or even if he sincerely claimed that he did no such thing. 

Instead, Apuron fled and used the full force of his office to threaten his accusers into silence, and even now, is accusing those who confronted him of being manipulated by the "powers of darkness" and those with a "greedy agenda." 

Further, he personally threatened to sue me for simply keeping stories already in the press in public view. 

In the end, it was Pope Francis himself who judged Apuron, since only a pope can remove a bishop. Here is the pope's judgement:

"The canonical trial in the matter of accusations, including accusations of sexual abuse of minors, brought against the Most Reverend Anthony Sablan APURON, O.F.M.Cap., Archbishop of Agaña, Guam, has been concluded. 

The Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, composed of five judges, has issued its sentence of first instance, finding the accused guilty of certain of the accusations and imposing upon the accused the penalties of privation of office and prohibition of residence in the Archdiocese of Guam."

And while Apuron can appeal, there is no question that the Vatican Tribunal, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Pope Francis, himself, (since only the pope could have permitted the publication of the sentence), judged Apuron GUILTY. 

FROM BOB

FROM BOB Buffs, today we examine what may be the beginning of Jon Fernandez aware. Here's a taste:

"After a couple of letters, some PDN coverage, a  FROM BOB, and the penetrating interviewing technique of John O'Connor, comes Super Jon's epiphany. Here's John O'Connor quoting Super Jon:

"I did pull up the law and (Klitzkie's) right," Fernandez said. "It informs ... our duties and responsibilities, and created standing for a public school student to file a lawsuit against the government to enforce that act." 

Well... even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day so I can't be that benidoso." 

For more and the THE SUPER. JON--EVERY CHILD FILE CABINET Just click on FROM BOB,

Bob

ALAS. I MUST PRESS ON!

Posted by Tim

Alas, just when I thought I could retire, The Diana, gives me reason to press on. 

True, I actually pay no attention to The Diana. However, I regulary receive a steady flow of copies of "her" blathering from others. 

My first impulse is to "trash" the copies after reading about three words. However, I probably should not be so hasty. 

It was thanks to The Diana that Apuron is now GONE! 

SENTENCE-GATE: A NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE APURON SENTENCE

KIKO

The (original) English text of Apuron's sentence is grossly different than the sentence as it appears in Italian. And the difference has permitted Apuron and his allies to exploit the sentence to their ends. 

On the March 19, KUAM special on the Apuron sentence, Apuron's civil attorney (apparently he can't get his canonical attorneys to speak for him) used the vague and awkward English text to accuse Archbishop Byrnes of being "unjust:" 

"I was a bit disheartened and disturbed by Coadjutor (Michael) Byrnes' statement. To publicly condemn Archbishop Anthony without having the full information, for me, it's an unjust condemnation of him. We don't know today which of the accusations Archbishop Anthony was found guilty of."

The Catholic News Agency and EWTN, colluded to go even further, suggesting that Apuron was not found guilty of sexual abuse against minors at all: 

The source said that if the archbishop is guilty of sexual abuse against minors, "justice would demand the strongest possible penalty," adding "this punishment maintains the status quo."  

The CNA/EWTN article goes on to state that Apuron received an "unusually light sanction," further suggesting that Apuron was probably not found guilty of sex abuse but perhaps failed to take out the trash on time. (Sarcasm intended). 

The difference between the (original) published English text of the sentence and the Italian is so glaring that once again we cannot discount the influence of the Kikos. And in fact, as already posted, in THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP, the Red Pope (aka Kiko's pope) dropped in on Pope Francis the morning before the sentence was published (the sentence was released that night):

Knowing that the majority of people who cared about the outcome of the Apuron trial would be reading the sentence in English, we could assume, given the glaring difference with the Italian, that someone on Apuron's team directly manipulated the language to produce exactly the opportunity that Apuron's people are now taking advantage of. 

Let's examine the two translations as found on the Vatican website on March 16, 2018 (Vatican time):

The text in Italian:

The "original" text in English (Note that I said "original!):

PDF of original statement here

Without even translating the Italian, the differences in the length of the opening phrase is immediately obvious. I'll copy them both here:

ITALIAN: "Il processo canonico in relazione alle accuse, incluse quelle di abusi sessuali su minori..."

ENGLISH: "The canonical trial of minors..."

Note that the English does NOT even mention sex abuse!

However, whether you use Google translate or the Vatican website's own translator, the Italian will read:

"The canonical process in relation to the accusations, including those of child sexual abuse..."

The Italian leaves ZERO doubt about what Apuron was found guilty of, whereas the English, the language Kiko's people (including the Red Pope) knew most of us would read, leaves out any mention of "sex abuse!"

I immediately saw the difference and posted about it yesterday in my commentary on the GUAM DAILY POST EDITORIAL. Additionally, I sent an email to all the local press, pointing out the dichotomy, a dichotomy which has permitted Apuron's people to suggest that "sex abuse" may not have even been one of the charges he was found guilty of.

Also, something told me not to close the tab on the original Vatican statement as it appeared on March 16. I'm glad I left it open, because today when I visited the same URL in a different tab, THERE WAS A NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

ORIGINAL STATEMENT: "The canonical trial of minors..."
REVISED STATEMENT: "The canonical trial in the matter of accusations, including accusations of sexual abuse of minor..."

I doubt that anyone in Rome saw my commentary yesterday, so more than likely Cardinal Burke, or someone with similar influence, saw that the Tribunal's sentence had been purposely gutted (inEnglish), permitting Apuron to squirrel through the hole, and immediately addressed what appears to be sabotage (something the Kikos are adept at!).

We can assume this because while Latin is the official language of the Church, the language of everyday business at the Vatican is Italian and thus the sentence, as it first appeared in Italian, was the actual sentence that the Tribunal crafted. 

Just today the Vatican announced the resignation of its media chief over his doctoring of a letter from Pope Benedict to make it look like Benedict was endorsing something he wasn't. It's being called "letter-gate." 

So do we now have "sentence-gate?"

At least now, there is now NO DOUBT about what Apuron was found guilty of. However, do not expect the Kikos to stop there. As we are already seeing from The Diana, they intend to wage war on Archbishop Byrnes. 

FROM BOB

Today on FROM BOB we consider Speaker BJ and his well......

Speaker BJ Cruz attempted to make hay out of what he mischaracterized as the inadequacy of § 5 of Public Law 34-87 and in so doing engaged in the "straw man fallacy."  [How's that for a mixed metaphor!]

BJ's office put out a press release that  tried to make the case that the proponents of § 5 of Public Law 34-87   held it out as the solution to GovGuam's  current cash problems. No one, i.e.no one, advanced that proposition--not in floor debate, testimony, in the VOP, Op/Eds or the radio talk shows (at least while I was listening) not even BJ!

and along the same lines---No, § 5 didn't abolish agencies, under serve the disabled nor leave farmers unprotected. No, those who stumped for § 5 didn't advocate those unpalatable consequences that the release trotted out. Nope.

At least the PDN wasn't taken in, nor were FromBob Buffs.

Get the full story at FROM BOB

THIS IS WHO THEY ALWAYS WERE...AND ARE

ARCHBISHOP BYRNES WILL NEED TO DRAIN THE SWAMP

GUAM DAILY POST: Apuron verdict means the start of a new chapter for Guam
LINK

[My comments in red.]

The Vatican’s verdict against Bishop Anthony Apuron, former archbishop, marked a historic moment for the Catholic Church and the people of Guam.

Apuron left Guam amid allegations that he sexually abused altar boys decades ago.

[To be precise, Apuron left Guam after exactly ONE allegation of sexual abuse. Apuron showed up in photos in Rome on May 25, 2016. At that point, only Roy Quintanilla had come forward (on May 17).]

Apuron was found guilty of “certain” accusations, according to a statement from the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He was removed from office and prohibited from living on Guam, the tribunal stated.

[Just a note on the translation. While the Vatican bulletin notes that the text was originally published in English, the translation of the Italian seems to be more clear: "di alcune delle accuse" = "of some of the accusations."]

Maintaining he's innocent, Apuron appealed the decision. The prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith will decide whether to accept the appeal, The Catholic News Agency reported.

[This is correct. There is NO appeal until the prefect for the CDF decides to accept it. Thus far he has not.]

The tribunal's decision leaves important questions unanswered. For which accusations was Apuron found guilty? If the tribunal reached a decision in October 2017, why was the verdict made public now?

[Once again, the Italian translation is much clearer. Where as the English refers only to "the canonical trial of minors," the Italian states: "Il processo canonico in relazione alle accuse, incluse quelle di abusi sessuali su minori, imputate contro il Reverendissimo Anthony Sablan Apuron, O.F.M. Cap., Arcivescovo di Agaña, Guam, si è concluso." which translates as: "The canonical process in relation to the accusations, including those of child sexual abuse, charged against the Reverend Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap., Archbishop of Agaña, Guam, has concluded." The Italian translation leaves no question as to what Apuron was tried for and found guilty of.]

The victims, their families and the entire community deserve answers. While the Vatican’s decision is a relief, there must be transparency so that the church can rebuild trust and restore peace.

[It appears, from the news accounts, that Apuron's victims, at least the ones we know of, have the answer they want: GUILTY and more importantly, GONE - though all have expressed their desire to confront him to his face and hear an apology.]

We commend the victims who shared their painful experiences to seek justice. If there are more victims, we hope that they step forward for justice and closure.

[There ARE more victims. And it would be encouraging to see our local media do a little more investigative reporting other than report on what was filed in Superior Court. There are many more stories, especially how Apuron got to be a bishop in the first place.]

We also applaud the Catholics who demand accountability from the church. Their tireless efforts made a profound difference as church officials started to address the allegations of sexual abuse and to take much-needed action.

[And it must never cease to be noted that the majority of these Catholics were the elderly, the last people anyone would expect to stand up to a powerful archbishop. Yet, they did. And that's a story too.]

At the same time, we see hopeful signs from Archbishop Michael Byrnes. He offered an apology to victims, and he said the church would focus on penance and reparation. We look forward to seeing the fractured archdiocese heal.

[Yes, Archbishop Byrnes has made it very clear that we are now in a "post-Apuron" era, that it is time to put him and his three decades of ruin behind us. However, there are still many members of the Apuron "deep state" in positions of power and authority within the diocese. Byrnes will have to "drain the swamp" before he and we can truly move on.]

The Vatican’s decision should mean a change in mindset for the church and the entire community. We must not tolerate sexual abuse anywhere, from churches to organizations to families. Adults must speak up for those who can’t, especially young children.

[Archbishop Fulton Sheen used to say: "As the Church goes so goes the world." And St. John Crysostom preached: "Do you wish to know if the people of any place are righteous? Look what sort of a pastor they have." Guam has shockingly high rates of child maltreatment as well as an infamous rate of suicide. Perhaps now things will change.]

We must continue to do more than reflect on the past; we must look to the future for recovery and prevention.

As the Vatican’s decision marked the end of one chapter in our island’s history, a story of healing, hope and wholeness is just beginning.

[Yes, it is.]

POPE BENEDICT XVI: "FROM THE CRISIS OF TODAY THE CHURCH OF TOMORROW WILL EMERGE"

News of the sale of the chancery property has caused some to despair over the material prosperity of our church. Let us trust our new Archbishop, who, himself, placed the property on the list of "non-essential properties," so that our essential properties, our churches and our schools, might be spared. 

The hope is that by offering the proceeds of the sale of the non-essential properties as part of a proposed settlement, the plaintiffs and their attorneys will be willing to settle and the church will be spared from having to declare bankruptcy which would place all church properties at the mercy of the court. 

We have to come to grips with the fact that we brought this on ourselves in many ways. For some, it was remaining silent about the abuses we knew about. For others, it was the permitting of evil to enter our Church through our own sins, however, big or small. 

As the first diocese in recent history to have a bishop removed from his diocesan office by a canonical trial, and as a diocese with an abuse problem 400% larger per capita than the infamous Boston debacle (aka "Spotlight"), let us show the rest of the Church and the world that we not only welcome this chastisement but will grow and prosper from it "in the way we should go."

God has chosen to cleanse his Church. And we are not alone in this chastisement. In 1969 the man would become Pope Benedict XVI saw clearly what was to come and what we, here in Guam, now face and embrace. 

When Father Joseph Ratzinger Predicted the Future of the Church

https://aleteia.org/2016/06/13/when-cardinal-joseph-ratzinger-predicted-the-future-of-the-church/

“The future of the Church can and will issue from those whose roots are deep and who live from the pure fullness of their faith. 

LET US KNOW WHEN YOU SEE IT, DIANA

Alas, the pathetic Diana's squirm....

Let's make this very clear. An appeal is not an appeal when it is filed. An appeal is an appeal when the appellate court agrees to hear it. Said court may also refuse to hear it. In either case, just as with the sentence, the Vatican will announce it via the same sort of Bulletin. Let us know, Diana, when you see it. Meanwhile: OBEY YOUR ARCHBISHOP. 

WALTER DENTON: "I WOKE UP SCREAMING"

The Vatican acknowledges abuse in Guam, and Arizona man rejoices: 'They believed' us

"I woke up screaming," Denton said, taking a break to wipe his eyes. 

Apuron was on top of him, holding him down and raping him, he said. 

Walter Denton lives in Casa Grande, half a world away from the Pacific island of Guam, where he grew up in the 1970s.

Despite all the distance and all the years passed, Denton holds close his memories of one night of terror in a church rectory. CONTINUED

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP

The Kikos are not going to give up. It appears that on the morning of the publication of Apuron's sentence, they were still working at the 11th hour...

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2018/03/16/180316b.html

THE USA TODAY ARTICLE. MY COMMENTS IN RED.

Guam archbishop guilty of sexual abuse, exiled from island, Vatican tribunal rules

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/16/vatican-removes-office-and-exiles-guam-archbishop-accused-sexual-abuse/431465002/?ref=gazelle.popsugar.com

VATICAN CITY — A Vatican tribunal found Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron guilty of sexually abusing minors and decreed he should be removed him from his clerical office and exiled from the island.

[USA TODAY gets it right. Apuron was found GUILTY of sexually abusing minors. Meanwhile, the Kiko-controlled "Catholic" press (e.g. EWTN) has prostituted itself to twist the verdict (sentence) in an apparent attempt to exonerate Apuron saying that "the CDF did not state the charges for which (Apuron) was found guilty," that Apuron was found guilty only of "a minority of the allegations" (as if it was more about mismanagement than sexual abuse), and that based on the penalty (which EWTN tries to make light of) it couldn't have been sexual abuse. I detailed EWTN's mess here.]

The Vatican said in a statement issued Friday that the tribunal had found Apuron "guilty of certain accusations." The tribunal dismissed some of the charges against him.

Apuron is the highest ranking church figure to have been convicted of sexual misconduct. Other high-ranking church officials, such as Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law, were accused of covering up, not participating, in such misconduct.

[This is a critical point that few in the press have picked up on. Apuron's trial and removal is history making, or, as Archbishop Byrnes called it: "a monumental marker." 

Apuron, 72, vowed Friday to appeal the sentence.

“God is my witness; I am innocent and I look forward to proving my innocence in the appeals process,” Apuron said in a statement released by his lawyer.

[The statement was made by Attorney Jackie Terlaje who is Apuron's civil lawyer, not his canon lawyer. Why isn't Apuron making a statement through his canon lawyer? There's a reason.]

The sentence would be suspended until such an appeal ends, according to Giorgio Giovanelli, an expert on canonical law with Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University.

[We can be sure that Apuron and the Kikos will exploit every possible crack to undermine the sentence. Meanwhile, it needs to be clear that while Apuron has appealed, that doesn't mean there is one. There is no appeal until the Vatican says there is one, not Apuron or his "attorney."]

The church suspended Apuron as archbishop in June 2016 amid allegations that he had sexually abused altar boys as a parish priest in Agat, Guam, in the 1970s. He denied the accusations and threatened to sue his accusers. 

[Yes, he did. And he threatened to sue me, Tim Rohr, specifically, publicly, and by name.]

Months after the suspension, the Vatican formed a five-member secret tribunal to look into the charges. The only member known to the public is Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, a Wisconsin native.

The tribunal had been scheduled to announce its verdict in August and then again October. But it was delayed as new evidence emerged. 

[The "new evidence" is believed to be accusations from others who did not choose to make their accusations known publicly but instead wrote only to the Vatican. I can say this with some certainty given the people I am privately aware of.]

An investigation by the USA TODAY Network's Pacific Daily News unearthed allegations of decades of assault, manipulation and intimidation by several priests of children reared on this remote, predominantly Catholic U.S. territory. The investigation identified more than 150 lawsuits that describe rampant child sexual abuse by some of Guam’s most revered men. 

[This is not correct. In fact, we can say, with much regret: "if only the press would have done so!" In fact, the failure of the press to do this is why a few lay people had to do it, and at great personal cost. We're thankful to the press for picking up the stories, but there was certainly nothing "unearthed" by any of the press.]

'The Vatican tribunal believed us'

One accuser was Roland Paul L. Sondia, who said Apuron molested him when he was a 15-year-old altar boy in 1977. The verdict, he said, gives him a sense of relief and justice.

“We’ve waited for so long for this day to come,” Sondia said late Friday night on Guam when he learned of the verdict. “The Vatican tribunal believed us, believed what was done to us. I’m still trying to take it all in.”

Sondia, now 56, was with his wife when he heard the news.

“We hugged each other, we were in tears. They’re tears of joy,” said Sondia, who still lives in Agat with his family.

'So glad we stopped being silent'

Roy Quintanilla said he was a 12-year-old altar boy in Agat when he was molested by Apuron about 40 years ago.

“I always believed that the Vatican would find Apuron guilty. How could they not, after our written and personal testimony? This verdict was a long time coming,” said Quintanilla, who now lives in Hawaii.

Quintanilla said Apuron enjoyed the respectable life of an archbishop of Guam for three decades “when he really should never have been bishop in the first place.”

[Quintanilla hits the nail on the head. Apuron never should have been bishop in the first place. And how he became bishop is something the press should really get around to "unearthing" if it wants credit for a real story!]

“Lucky for him, we remained silent all that time," Quintanilla said. "I am so glad we stopped being silent.

"The Vatican’s verdict was made possible because Guam’s faithful stood together against an injustice.  Although it took me 40 years to come forward, I’m glad I did, and I am glad for everyone that came forward to tell their story,” he said.

[Thank you, Roy. It was only because, thanks to a few leaders, that "Guam's faithful stood together against an injustice." The real test is whether we will continue to stand. The Kikos are not going to go away.]

'But it's not over'

Tim Rohr, who blogs about Catholic issues, said that while the Apuron verdict brings a sense of relief, it is not over. He predicted an appeal that could drag on for at least two years. 

[To clarify: there is no appeal unless the Vatican says there is one. But appeal or not, Apuron and the Kikos are not going to go away. Even if the appeal is denied, the Kikos will go into "persecution mode," and cast Apuron as a martyr.]

There is no set timetable for how long an appeal would last, according to Joshua McElwee, Vatican correspondent for National Catholic Reporter.

“It’s not a transparent process,” McElwee said. “We probably won’t know when it starts, or what is happening in an appeal. We will probably only find out what happens when a statement is suddenly released, the way it was for the tribunal’s ruling” on Friday.

[Actually, we will know when it starts because, as of now, Archbishop Byrnes is no longer Coadjutor Archbishop, but fully "Archbishop of Agana." If the Vatican accepts Apuron's appeal, then Byrnes will immediately be required to revert back to Coadjutor.]

The Vatican said the decision of the tribunal would become “final and effective” if the tribunal’s decision is upheld on appeal. Giovanelli, the canonical law expert, said Pope Francis could choose to intervene.

[It appears that Pope Francis has already intervened and caused the sentence to be published when it did - thanks to Apuron's abuse of two papal receiving lines which gave Apuron and the Kikos the photo ops they thought would help. They didn't.]

Apuron, in a wheel chair because of health issues, met with Francis a month ago in Paul VI Hall in the Vatican City. Italian media reports said Francis embraced Apuron and whispered a few words into the archbishop’s ear, but Francis made no public statement about Apuron. 

[We have to assume that the wheel chair is a prop. While Apuron may have been wheeled to the two events where he crashed the two receiving lines (once in January, another in February), he appeared to have no difficulty standing and walking in those lines.]

Francis, who celebrated his fifth anniversary as pontiff March 13, has said repeatedly that the church should take more responsibility for sexual abuse scandals in its past. 

Apuron also faces additional lawsuits. Apuron's nephew Mark Apuron accused him of sexual abuse in a lawsuit filed in January.

Apuron denied the allegations then in a statement: "As I lay sick after another surgery and I face the final judgment approaching evermore close, having lost interest in this world, God is my witness: I deny all allegations of sexual abuse made against me, including this last one."

[Apuron admitted his guilt when he ran after only ONE allegation in May 2016. And since he has concocted a fable about his being persecuted by Chinese casino and real estate interests for his reason for fleeing. Unfortunately, EWTN has continued the fable.]

The Archdiocese of Agana, now led by Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes, did not offer a comment immediately after the announcement of the verdict. Communications director Tony Diaz said the archdiocese would issue a statement Saturday morning. 

[The statement was issued, saying that the CDF "concretely" found Apuron "guilty."]

David Sablan, president of the grassroots group Concerned Catholics of Guam (CCOG), whose actions helped expose abuses by Apuron, said Catholics on Guam can now "begin the healing process of our wounded church on Guam.”

Sablan said the organization would work with the new archbishop "to strengthen our Church in being true to the teaching of Jesus Christ faithfully. This is now the mission of CCOG and all Catholics on Guam.”

Swift rise to power, rapid fall from grace

Apuron, a former altar boy, rose from priest to archbishop in 14 years. He was installed as the leader of the island's faithful in 1986. His descent from power was also swift.

Initially, the archbishop came under scrutiny after a multimillion-dollar transfer of church property. Then, Apuron became the target of public protests following the removal of two popular priests.

[That's not quite the timeline. It was the Fr. Paul issue first. But these were the seminal events.]

As critics worked to unseat the archbishop, their efforts uncovered a massive child sex abuse scandal.

[Actually, the "massive child sex abuse scandal' "uncovered" itself. Once there was a forum to speak out against Apuron (this blog) it was only a matter of time before those abused by him would find it (this forum). In hindsight, this is why Apuron and his people were so anxious to shut me down. First, by going to Rome to get Cardinal O'Brien, who headed a particular organization I belonged to, to threaten me into silence, then, the public threat to sue me, and finally, the ongoing onslaught from the Kiko's Diana blog. Incidentally, after I responded to O'Brien's threat with a litany of facts about Apuron, I never heard from him again.] 

Early abuse allegation

In late 2014, former Agat altar boy John Toves accused Apuron of sexually abusing a cousin. When the cousin did not come forward, Apuron and the archdiocese threatened to sue Toves.

Then in August 2015, former Agat altar boy Walter Denton wrote in a letter to Vatican officials that he had been raped by Apuron as a child. A few months later, after speaking with Denton and former altar boys Quintanilla and Sondia, blogger Rohr put out a call for anyone who had been abused by a priest to contact him.

Rohr, who has lived on Guam since 1985, said he knew of the swirl of rumors around Apuron.

[Since 1987]

“I already heard about Apuron and the Agat boys," Rohr said in a 2017 interview. "There are always snickers when people talked about Apuron in Agat. There were no names of the boys, but I knew something was going on.”

In early May 2016, full-page ads sponsored by Concerned Catholics of Guam appeared in local newspapers, urging anyone who had been sexually abused by clergy to come forward. 

Quintanilla stood in front of the chancery office to tell his story. He recounted abuse that began in 1976, when he was 12, and Apuron molested him during a sleepover at the rectory in Agat. Hearing his story on the news, Arizona resident Doris Concepcion came forward with her son Joseph A. Quinata's accusation. In 2005, Quinata, as he was being wheeled into surgery, told her he was also molested by Apuron. Quinata did not survive the surgery.

At the time, the former Agat altar boys could not sue Apuron or the church because the statute of limitations had expired on the sexual abuse charges. Instead, after the archbishop called them liars, they sued the archbishop and the church for defamation.

Apuron struck back, declaring the Concerned Catholics of Guam a prohibited society, banning the faithful from associating with the group and threatening lawsuits against his accusers.

Changes in Guam law

The scandal prompted lawmakers to remove the statute of limitations for civil suits involving child victims.The law passed in 2016.

[Not quite. It was once again the laity who organized a campaign to push lawmakers to do so.]

The archdiocese is now named in 159 sex abuse lawsuits.

SHE'S JUST DOING HER JOB

Quotes from Attorney Jackie Terlaje, Apuron's civil attorney, taken from the KUAM special "Vatican Verdict Part 2". [My comments in red.]

"First of all, I want to emphasize that Archbishop Anthony was acquitted of the majority of charges against him. I think this is an important fact that has been underplayed by many of the media outlets that are out there."

[First of all, why is Apuron's civil attorney "practicing law" by speaking for a person who is represented by other lawyers in a jurisdiction (the Vatican) that she is not authorized to practice in? Second, how does she know that Apuron has been "acquitted of the majority of charges" against him, other than what Apuron told her? Third, regardless of the number of the charges he was accused of, Apuron was indeed found guilty - after a year long trial, and by papal-appointed tribunal of his peers - of at least some charges which were serious enough to remove him from office and banish him for life from residing ever again in his home diocese.]

"There is an appellate process in place, and he has already appealed the finding of guilt."

[As an attorney, Terlaje should know that while Apuron may have requested an appeal, there is no appeal until the Vatican publishes a notice that there is one. And it has not.]

"I was a bit disheartened and disturbed by Coadjutor (Michael) Byrnes' statement. To publicly condemn Archbishop Anthony without having the full information, for me, it's an unjust condemnation of him. We don't know today which of the accusations Archbishop Anthony was found guilty of."

[First, Byrnes is no longer "Coadjutor." He is Archbishop of Agana, which is how he signed his press release of March 17. In the same press release, Archbishop Byrnes addressed Apuron as "Bishop Apuron," NOT "Archbishop Apuron," which denotes Apuron's removal from office.]

"I don't even know what the grounds of appeal are. I'm not a canon lawyer, so I can't even tell you what Archbishop Anthony has the ability to appeal on. His canon lawyers are the ones handling that entire process, and this is the nature of the Vatican process as well - that we don't have information."

[This is what Terlaje should have said at the outset and cut if off at that: 1) "I'm not a canon lawyer;" 2) "I can't tell you (comment);" 3) "we" (I) don't have information." Anything beyond this could be construed as an unauthorized practice of law.]

"Archbishop Anthony has been consistently praying for the people of Guam. He has been consistently asserting his innocence. And he has been praying that this suffering, this problem, this hurt that we have on this island is healed."

[There's only one problem. Apuron RAN.]

"The reality of the situation...is that this particular verdict doesn't necessarily have a very big impact on the civil case."

[That's not what Terlaje herself said on June 13, 2017: "Terlaje told the judge the outcome of the canonical trial would impact the direction of the civil cases."]

[But there should be some sympathy for Terlaje. After all, she is a lawyer, and a lawyer's first duty is to his or her client. It's a tough job. Sometimes they have to defend the indefensible. She's just doing her job.]

NICE JOB KRYSTAL PACO OF KUAM

ARCHBISHOP BYRNES PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY

Archbishop Byrnes will be holding a press conference today at 1:30. We will attempt to pull in the live feed here on this post.

In the meanwhile, we can guess a bit at what he is going to say given his press statement over the weekend where he refers to former Archbishop Apuron as only "Bishop Apuron," 

...and signs the press release "Michael Byrnes Archbishop of Agana" and not "Coadjutor Archbishop" as before.

BTW, The Diana appears to be all in a twit as to how we got a copy of the press release. Maybe it's because JW is considered a legitimate media outlet because its author uses his real name. Try it, Diana. 

INTERESTING

UPDATE

LET'S WATCH THIS AGAIN...AND REMEMBER: NEVER AGAIN!

PDN: APURON'S RISE AND FALL

Apuron's rapid rise, swift descent from power

After more than four decades as a priest, including 30 as the spiritual leader of Catholics on Guam, Archbishop Anthony Apuron learned he would be stripped of his office and prohibited from living on the island where he'd spent most of his life. CONTINUED

The part about the RMS property scam is copied below:

In 2002, the archdiocese used a $1.9 million loan to purchase the former 100-room Accion Hotel on 19 acres in Yona for a seminary, according to Pacific Daily News files. In a donation that was supposed to be anonymous, a group of Carmelite nuns raised $2 million to pay off the loan, giving the archdiocese full title to the property, the building and its contents.

The Redemptoris Mater Seminary was affiliated with the Neocatechumenal Way, and in 2011 seminary representatives asked the archdiocese finance council to transfer the title of the property to the seminary. After the finance council denied the request, Apuron signed a deed restriction, allowing the property to be held by the seminary indefinitely.

Apuron then dissolved the finance council.

The seminary was “specifically designed to form presbyters for the ‘New Evangelization’ as understood by the Neocatechumenal Way,” according to a report issued in September 2016 by the archdiocese. “As a result the seminarians’ formation does not prioritize the importance of parish ministry, parish management and the general familiarity of the seminarians with parish life.”

WELL, WELL, WELL

Throughout the ETWN news story, there was the consistent mention of an unnamed source who was curiously "close" to several parts of Apuron's case: 1) the case itself and thus close to Apuron, 2) close to the goings on in the Archdiocese of Agana, and 3) close to EWTN.

And well, well, well, it appears that it may be our old disappearing friend, The Wandering Wadeson, who, while not apparently assigned to this parish just down the road from EWTN headquarters, is nevertheless operating in the area. 

So perhaps it is time to review the Wadeson File. For now just find his name on the labels in the right side bar. I'll assemble a more thorough file soon. 

Full bulletin

Irondale, Alabama. EWTN headquarters

TIME TO TURN OFF EWTN

The "in-the-tank-for-Kiko" EWTN media is a disgrace to the memory of Mother Angelica who fought so hard to bring us truth. EWTN's whole article is an absolute sham, as I clearly demonstrated in a previous post. 

To further illustrate the sham EWTN has become, compare what EWTN said with what the Vatican itself said. 

EWTN tries to convince us that the charges against Apuron not only are not known, but probably didn't even involve sex abuse:

http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Vatican.php?id=17163

Meanwhile, here is what the Vatican itself published:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-03/apostolic-tribunal-guilty-apuron-agana-guam.html

TIME TO TURN OFF EWTN

ARCHBISHOP BYRNES: CDF "CONCRETELY" FOUND APURON "GUILTY"

The Holy See has made its determination in the canonical trial of Bishop Anthony S. Apuron and has issued a news release through its Vatican press office.

The official news release issued March 16, 2018 by the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reads as follows:

“The canonical trial in the matter of accusations, including accusations of sexual abuse of minors, brought against the Most Reverend Anthony Sablan APURON, O.F.M.Cap., Archbishop of Agaña, Guam, has been concluded.

The Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, composed of five judges, has issued its sentence of first instance, finding the accused guilty of certain of the accusations and imposing upon the accused the penalties of privation of office and prohibition of residence in the Archdiocese of Guam.

The sentence remains subject to possible appeal. In the absence of an appeal, the sentence becomes final and effective. In the case of an appeal, the imposed penalties are suspended until final resolution. [00436-EN.01]”

It has been a long and painful period for our Church and our island community in general. This long awaited announcement by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is very much welcomed. It is a monumental marker in our journey toward healing as one Church, one people in God. I pray that all people would embrace this call for healing.

Though the sentence is subject to appeal by Bishop Apuron, as indicated by the Vatican news release, the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has clearly and concretely determined a finding of “guilty” regarding “certain of the accusations” made against him.

I extend my prayers as well as gratitude to the courageous individuals and their families who came forward to share their agonizing stories of being abused by then Father Tony Apuron in years past: Mr. Roy Quintanilla, Mr. Walter Denton, Mr. Roland Paul Sondia, and the late Joseph “Sonny” Quinata, represented with deep love by his mom Doris Concepcion.

I offer prayers and thanks as well to Mark M. Apuron, for his brave decision to come forward regarding his uncle.

Regardless of whether there is an appeal or not, our focus shall remain on penance and reparation. I expect to hold a news conference on Monday, March 19, 2018. We shall advise the media on the time. For now, this will be the extent of our message.

Sincerely,

+Michael Byrnes

Archbishop of Agana

ARCHBISHOP BYRNES WELCOMES THE APURON VERDICT

KUAM: Archbishop Byrnes encourages Catholics to "embrace call for healing"

The Archdiocese of Agana welcomes the verdict issued by the Holy See on Guam’s suspended Archbishop Anthony Apuron. 

In a press release on Saturday, Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes states “It is a monumental marker in our journey toward healing as one Church, one people in God. I pray that all people will embrace this call for healing.”

As reported, a papal bulletin on Friday announced a guilty verdict for Apuron for “certain of the allegations” against him resulting in his removal and prohibiting him from returning to Guam.

Though Apuron has expressed intent to appeal the sentence, the local Archdiocese states it will push forward with penance and reparation.  

A news conference will be held on Monday where Archbishop Byrnes will make further comment.

Until then, he extends his prayers and thanks to the five victims and their families for having the courage to share their agonizing stories of abuse by Apuron.

EWTN - THE NEW AMERICAN LA STAMPA

It has been very evident for a long time that Catholic media giant, EWTN, after Mother Angelica retired, has been increasingly taken over by amateurs. Additionally, they have been increasingly Kiko-friendly, and today's report about Apuron proves it. In fact, it is not only pathetically Kiko-friendly reporting, it is the stuff of gossip tabloids. My comments in [red.] And see how many times EWTN refers to an unnamed source (just like La Stampa) which I'll underline.

Update: Guilty verdict for Guam archbishop, appeal to follow

http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Vatican.php?id=17163

On Friday the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced the conclusion of a year-long trial against an archbishop in Guam, stating that he has been found guilty of some charges stemming from allegations of sexual abuse of minors and has been removed from office. 


A source close to the case has confirmed that the archbishop has already appealed the decision. 


[So, here we start with the unnamed source, who, throughout the rest of the article, appears to be the sole source.]

According to a March 16 statement from the Apostolic Tribunal of the CDF, Archbishop Anthony Apuron, 72, was found guilty of “certain” accusations and penalized with removal from the office and prohibition from residing within the Archdiocese of Guam.


The CDF did not state the charges for which the archbishop was found guilty. Sources close to the case told CNA that the archbishop was found guilty of a minority of the allegations leveled against him.


[Huh? Did EWTN even bother to read the actual Vatican bulletin? The Vatican clearly stated: "The canonical trial of minors, brought against the Most Reverend Anthony Sablan APURON, OFMCap., Archbishop of Agaña, Guam." But EWTN tells us that the charges were not even stated. SMH!]

If the archbishop has been found guilty of sexual abuse of minors, the penalty leveled against him is unusual - often a cleric found guilty of such crimes would be "laicized," or removed from the clerical state, sources say.

[Again, with the "sources say." How much you wanna bet the "sources" are Kiko's? And we don't know if Apuron will eventually be laicized. That could be still to come. However, laicization is overstated. It is no punishment at all. In fact, it is a free pass to the accused as he would no longer be under the authority of the Church. At least keeping him a cleric keeps Rome in control.]

Sources also noted that the archbishop has seemingly maintained his ecclesiastical faculties, and though restricted from residence in Guam, is apparently able to exercise ministry as a priest.


[More "sources." But the statement is stupid. The removal of faculties, especially of a bishop, since it is something only a pope can do, required an investigation. So while Apuron was being investigated, he, of course, retained his faculties as a priest. And now that the trial has concluded, part of the deal may be that Apuron's faculties will be removed but that this part of the sentence would not be made public, or that he may be permitted to retain limited faculties. We don't know, and the Vatican was not required to tell us.]

A source close to the case told CNA that the penalty is "a complete contradiction" to the sentence.


The source said that if the archbishop is guilty of sexual abuse against minors, "justice would demand the strongest possible penalty," adding "this punishment maintains the status quo."  




["A source..." So pathetic EWTN. But here's the deal. Apuron has received the worst of penalties: EXILE. Even the laicized Wesołowski was permitted to return to his home. Not so, Apuron. Apuron has been banished from Guam by the pope himself. No one else has ever received such a penalty.]

One expert suggested to the CNA that the five-judge panel may have been divided on the archbishop's guilt, which could explain the disparity between a guilty verdict and an unusually light sanction.

[Wow! "an unusually light sanction." Ummm. IT WAS BANISHMENT AND EXILE FOR LIFE, not to mention the first EVER archbishop to be removed from his diocese by a trial!]

One source questioned whether pressure to quickly resolve the matter might have influenced the sentence.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, former prefect of the Vatican's Apostolic Signatura, is the case's only judge to be publicly identified.

"It is difficult to explain how such a serious-minded and competent canonist would put his name to something like this," a source close to the case said of Burke, noting questions raised about the sentence and delays in the case's adjudication. 

[It's hard to comment on this pathetic tabloid reporting with any seriousness. All we have is "the source, the source, the source." Ummm, EWTN, we are on to you. Those are Kiko's people. We can smell them all the way over here! And to call into question Cardinal Burke's integrity....? Yah, right. SMH. SMH. SMH.]

Apuron was relieved of his pastoral and administrative authority by Pope Francis in 2016, in the wake of the allegations, and was effectively replaced by Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes, formerly of Detroit.


The canonical trial against Apuron began in October 2016, with Cardinal Burke appointed by Pope Francis as the trial’s presiding judge. Byrnes told reporters that the Vatican reached a decision on the case in October 2017, though no information regarding its outcome had yet been released.


Sources questions why the CDF delayed finalizing sentences apparently completely in mid-2017. The archbishop is reported to have been notified of the court's decision only recently, and it was not made publicly known until today.


One source close to the Archdiocese of Agana in Guam questioned whether Archbishop Byrnes pushed the Vatican to release the sentence in order to resolve public concern about the matter in Guam. 


However, the source questioned whether Byrnes has been appropriately advised on the matter. "Most of the people who were opposed to [Apuron] in terms of governance" have become advisers to Byrnes, the source said.


"The curial advice Byrnes is receiving is institutionally and personally opposed to Apuron."


[This is getting crazy. Ummmm, EWTN, Byrnes' immediate right hand man is Fr. Jeff ("I love my archbishop") San Nicolas who defended Apuron to the end and still defends him. But how pathetic you people are to insult Archbishop Byrnes. On second thought, thanks for that. This will help Byrnes make some decisions that we want to see him make!]

In the early hours of March 17 on Guam, Apuron released a statement through his attorney.


"I have been informed of the conclusion of the first instance canonical trial against me. While I am relieved that the tribunal dismissed the majority of the accusations against me, I have appealed the verdict. God is my witness; I am innocent and I look forward to proving my innocence in the appeals process," the statement read.


"Today, my prayers are with the Church in Guam, which has been suffering greatly. I pray that Santa Marian Kamalen may intercede for the healing of our island," Apuron continued.

 


[Note. Why did Apuron release this message through his civil attorney who has NOTHING to do with Apuron's canonical trial? The fact is, as I have stated elsewhere, that it wasn't just Cardinal Burke or the tribunal which found Apuron GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY. It was Pope Francis himself, without whose consent, no trial could have ever commenced in the first place and certainly no verdict or sentence could have ever been pronounced. So EWTN, your problem is with Francis, isn't it.]

Until appeals are resolved, “the imposed penalties are suspended until the final resolution” of the trial, according to the CDF.  


A source told CNA that the credibility of the witnesses will be a major factor of the appeal. Questions have been raised regarding connections between the witnesses, attorneys, and real estate developers on Guam.


[Now, that's a dead giveaway. The appeal has only to do with the proceedings of the trial and nothing to do with the "credibility of the witnesses" as that has already been established in the trial itself. And LOL, again with the real estate developers. Pathetic. You're as bad as the trained lawyer.]

The prefect of the CDF, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, will determine whether or not to accept the appeal, and then be responsible for appointing judges to consider it.


[Ummm, EWTN, Ladaria already signed off on the verdict and sentence, which is how it was promulgated. The appeal is a matter of form, and it is just your neocat friends one last chance to save their cult.]

The most recent allegation against Apuron was made Jan. 10 by the archbishop’s nephew, Mark Apuron. He filed a lawsuit Jan. 10 claiming that his uncle raped him in a Church bathroom in 1989 or 1990. This was the fifth lawsuit to accuse the archbishop of sexual abuse of minors during his time as a pastor and bishop.


The archbishop denied the allegations in a statement Jan. 18, writing, “God is my witness: I deny all allegations of sexual abuse made against me, including this last one,” according to Guam Pacific Daily News.


In addition to this claim, Apuron also faced four other accusations from former altar boys, who charged the archbishop with abuse in the 1970s when he served as a parish priest in Agat.

The first allegations against the archbishop were made public in May 2016. Mark’s attorney, David Lujan, said that his client was too ashamed and embarrassed to tell his family about the alleged abuse until recently.

[EWTN here is trying to infer that Mark Apuron was put up to it because he did not come out until a year and half later. It's important that they try to do this because it was very likely Mark Apuron's testimony which was the clincher in the trial, not because Mark was Apuron's nephew, but because the incident occurred while Apuron was archbishop.]

Archbishop Byrnes, who is empowered by the Vatican to oversee the Archdiocese of Agana but has not yet formally succeeded Apuron, has since implemented new child protection policies in the archdiocese, including a safe environment program that Byrnes said will “help to instigate a change of culture in our Archdiocese.”

Byrnes adopted in February 2017 the US bishops’ conference’s Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and its essential norms on dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clerics.

The Archdiocese of Agaña is currently a defendant in 96 sexual abuse lawsuits, involving Apuron, 13 priests, a Catholic schoolteacher, a Catholic school janitor, and a Boy Scout leader. Most of the lawsuits were filed after 2016, when Guam’s territorial legislature eliminated the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse.


[They can't even get that right. We passed the 100 mark months ago. Yesterday's PDN tallied the number at: "the archdiocese has been named in 159 sex abuse lawsuits." And "most of the lawsuits...filed after 2016?" Ummm, no. ALL of the lawsuits "involving child sex abuse" were filed after September 2016 because there was NO LAW permitting anyone to file a suit until then.]

IT'S TIME TO SHUT OFF EWTN.