MAKING THIS "COMMENT" A "POST."

DID WE JUST SEE A DIVINE SHOT ACROSS OUR BOW LAST WEEK?

(Posted by Frenchie)

Was last week well publicized fiery cataclysm of Notre Dame of Paris

a divine sign for both the French and the Universal Church?

With the help of 24 hours media coverage, many people were able to witness the destruction by fire of one of the iconic building of western Catholicism: the Cathedral of  our Lady of Paris.

Believers, lovers of the art and tourists alike were shocked that such a well recognized building.

Notre Dame is in fact the most visited building of the Paris landscape with 12 millions visitors yearly.

A sense of awe and despair was felt by tens of thousands of people around the world as people witnessed the expression of adoration,which came to symbolize the faith of the builders of such an exquisite piece of architecture, literally go up in smoke in front of our eyes. 

To most practicing Catholics, the fact that this plague would happen at the beginning of the Holy week, was not lost.

Yet few commented on the fact that the end of Holy week, the beginning of our Year, the celebration of the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ was also marked by another awful event: the Martyrdom of hundreds of innocent worshipers in Sri Lanka. 

Could this be a divine sign, a warning, of things to come, if we continue to not follow the advises of our Lord and Savior? 

T

MEMORIAL MASS FOR JOHN TOVES THIS COMING SATURDAY

(Posted by Frenchie)

As many of you have already noted through different notifications in the PDN and on social media, our dear friend John Toves, has left us last Wednesday, just before the Easter Tridium.

After a long and difficult fight against cancer, he has now moved on to a better and more just world.

As Tim, and other commentators have noted, we owe John Toves a debt of gratitude, for being the first courageous person to publicly denounced Apuron for the sick person he is.

He became the Catalyst which allowed for many survivors to come forward.

The funeral will take place in the Bay Area in California, on Saturday the 27th of April.

Here on Guam, a Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday April the 27th, at 1PM at our Lady of Lourdes Church in Yigo.

You are all invited to participate

A pot luck meal will take place after Mass at the Hall of our Lady of Lourdes.

Fr Paul Gofigan will be the celebrant.

If you have any question, feel free to contact us.

PDN: LAWSUITS AGAINST THE ARCHDIOCESE OF AGANA

PDN: CHURCH AT CROSSROADS

People of faith reflect on the Catholic Church at a crossroads

Johnny S. Villagomez said he's lost trust in the Catholic priests who have been named in clergy sex abuse lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Agana. But he hasn'tt lost faith in God and the Catholic Church.

“Who else is going to take care of the church if not us, the believers?” Villagomez said, after he and his wife, Linda, attended Palm Sunday Mass.

CONTINUED

WE COUDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU

As I have no interest in what The Diana says or has ever said, I don't waste my time there, but that is not to say that I don't appreciate it when others send me postings which help to advance JungleWatch. 

In fact, I almost wish that I did not have this automatic reflex to vomit whenever I do see The Diana's postings because - since I don't watch TV - I could probably use the comic relief that sometimes the regular TV news can afford you.

Apparently, thanks to Zoltan's letter in the PDN, The Diana once again has her panties in a twist over her blog being characterized as "Neocat blog," or as a "semi-official" Neocat blog as Zoltan characterized it. 

The fact is of course - and this is a point that we have always made - so long as The Diana chooses to be The Diana - instead of a real person with a name (like me), then ALL OF US are free, to not only characterize her blog however we want, but also to name her whatever and whoever we want. 

I choose to name The Diana "May Llanes" because, well this:

And this:

And then when we posted about this a couple years ago, within a few days, we got this:

Actually, Zoltan and The Diana used to be friends:

But while we all may laugh at the laughingstock that is The Diana, I would admonish you to also offer prayers of thanks. 

As I've shared before, The Diana, almost singlehandedly brought down Apuron, and has wrought (though it still may take awhile) the death of Kiko's Heresy. 

Thanks to The Diana, she kept the conversation going after The Father Paul Thing, when there really wasn't anything to talk about, and two years before Apuron's first victim took to the streets. 

In fact, I learned later, that it was the ongoing tit for tat between The Jungle and The Diana that awoke the sleeping monster that Apuron had long since thought he had killed and buried. 

Personally, I want to thank The Diana for pushing The Jungle to nearly NINE MILLION VIEWS. 

Seriously, Diana, we couldn't have done it without you. Oh, and about "the other thing," your time is coming. 

COURAGE...May. 

P.S. Just for fun (if you're looking for some) JungleWatch has over 140 posts exposing The Diana, or more precisely, the Agenda of Pius, the Fake Monk. 

WILL AGANA BURN?

“If the Shepherds of the Church refuse to do penance for the spiritual conflagration of the past fifty years, and for the betrayal of Christ’s universal command to evangelize, should we then not fear that God might send another and more shocking sign, like a devastating conflagration or earthquake that would destroy St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome? God will not indefinitely and shamelessly be mocked by so many Shepherds of the Church of our own day, through their betrayal of the Faith, their sycophantic serving of the world and their neo-pagan worship of temporal and earthly realities. To them as well are addressed these words of Christ, ‘I tell you, unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’” (Lk 13:5) - Bishop Schneider: Notre Dame fire is sign of ‘spiritual conflagration’ in the Church 

REPORTED IN USA TODAY:

Apuron said this climate, "shown by the local media, which hampered the work of the court of first instance, testifies to the presence of a pressure group that plotted to destroy me, and which has made itself clearly known even to authorities in Rome."

ZOLTAN

Letter: Neocatechumenal Way needs openness, transparency

"An oppression of dissent, including merciless censorship of content and comments at the Way’s semi-official Guam blog, is evidence of fear of openness and transparency. Reality should regain its true meaning as the things we see around us in the light of Catholic teaching."

Because of the significant events that have shaken our Catholic Church on Guam, it is indispensable to face the new realities of religious life to appreciate necessary changes that will ensue. Of particular interest is the future of the worldwide Catholic semi-charismatic movement, the Neocatechumenal Way, on Guam, which has played a significant role in Catholic life during the past 15 to 20 years.  CONTINUED

SAVING APURON...THE REST OF THE STORY...FOR NOW

During an in-flight interview on August 26, 2018 from Dublin to Rome, Pope Francis, speaking of his decision to personally entertain Apuron's appeal, said: “It is a complicated case, on one hand, but not difficult because the evidence is clear.” 

Given all the trouble we had had in getting Rome to even take notice, all the bait and switch, the deflection, the denial, the threats of suits against those of us who spoke up, the pulling back the curtain on Cardinal Filoni's role in confounding our efforts, the very vague Sentence that left doubt about what Apuron was actually found guilty of, and Apuron's own threat to exonerate himself in the appeal by "discrediting the witnesses" (starting with me - or didn't you think I knew that), we had every reason to ask WHAT NEXT? when the Pope, in personally taking on Apuron's appeal, decided to bypass the tribunal and then characterized the case as both "not difficult" but "complicated."

And then there was the matter that Apuron had taken advantage of the vague Sentence (which stated only that he had been found guilty of "certain accusations") by inferring that the main accusations - sexual abuse of minors - was not among the "certain accusations," by saying upon submitting his appeal: "I am relieved that the tribunal dismissed the majority of the accusations against me."

For those of us who had been in this battle from the beginning, we knew exactly what was going on. 

Everything must be seen through the lens of the hierarchy of the Neocatechumenal Way. I am not speaking here of most people's personal experience of the NCW, I am speaking of the parasitical power bosses that run the NCW and use it as a Trojan horse in the Church to suck off power, money, and control. 

To understand just how parasitic and powerful these bad guys are, one has only to read the sordid history of how the NCW hierarchy finagled away the Yona Property, our local church's largest material asset, under the guise of establishing a seminary, and then hid the transaction for years. (For just a taste, read Certificate of Title Fiasco - wherein these operators were able to worm their way even into GovGuam - and The Ultimate Treachery - wherein they tried to pervert a Carmelite Superior.)

So when Pope Francis first said the he was going to bypass the Vatican tribunal process and personally hear Apuron's appeal, and then said that the case was both "not difficult" (because the "evidence is clear") but "complicated," we knew exactly what was going on: the same parasites were at work in Rome to save Apuron - NOT because they cared about Apuron, and not even because they cared about the NCW, but because they cared about their power.

To even begin to understand this mess, one must first understand that Apuron was the NCW's mascot bishop. Apuron was the only bishop in the world known to be one of the "brothers," i.e. just one other member of a Neocat "community." And we on Guam, beginning with Apuron's infamous public slamming of a Vatican directive in 2006 (and in particular his on-air challenge to the legitimate authority of a Cardinal-Prefect), were well aware that Apuron was OWNED by the Neocat power bosses, and that they, not the Pope, were his superiors. 

It is very clear that those bosses never thought things would go as far as they did. In the beginning it was just this noisome blog that wouldn't shut up. But in their attempt to shut down this blog, they made a big mistake. In fact, if anything or anyone can be directly credited with bringing Apuron down, it was the deluge of hateful, threatening, and mostly anonymous comments (nearly 70,000). These comments kept people around the world coming back to watch the war, and every log-on added another number to the page view counter. And every number on that counter was another thump of the "tell tale heart" buried beneath Apuron's chancery floor. 

As the page views climbed into the millions and the country counter began registering nearly every nation in the world, the press began to take notice, but more importantly, on the other side of the Pacific, a certain John Toves began to take notice. And John knew what we didn't: "THE AGAT BOYS." And I assume you know the story from there. All hell broke loose. 

In fact, Apuron foresaw what was going to happen. For decades, he had been quite sure that his secrets were secure. But this blog thing presented a problem he hadn't anticipated: people talking, or, more specifically, people talking anonymously (i.e. without consequences), and in a venue that the whole world could see. At some point, Apuron knew that it would only be a matter of time before the boys he had long since buried deep 'neath the dirt of his power, would wake from their sleep of shame and grief and begin to speak. And speak they did. 

This is why Apuron went to Rome in October of 2013 to try to shut me down. I still remember my amusement when I got that letter from Cardinal Edwin O'Brien, Grand Master of the Equestrian Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, threatening me to "desist" from going after Apuron. 

I found his letter amusing because first it was obvious that O'Brien hadn't written the letter himself. Second, it was laughably obvious that English was a second language for the writer of the letter (and O'Brien is an American). Third, it was just as obvious that O'Brien hadn't even read the letter or he would have corrected the grammatical errors. And fourth, it was very clear that Apuron or his people had approached O'Brien to shut me up because it is highly doubtful that a powerful Vatican Cardinal would spend his evenings drinking wine and reading JungleWatch - which at that time, had less than 50,000 views.

It wasn't until John Toves showed up that I began to put the pieces together. Apuron knew that the growing attention to this blog, and its venue for anonymous comments, would soon attract the attention of something he had long since suffocated in the dark cellar of his personal history, even if he (and he alone) could never completely shut out the dull thumping of those tell tale hearts. Thus, his run to Rome and his (and O'Brien's) attempt to bully me into silence. 

(BTW, the story gets even wilder when in the aftermath of the McCarrick thing, Archbishop Vigano names O'Brien in his August 2018 letter as one of the prelates caught up in the homosexual cabal that is running the Vatican. But I'm saving that story.)

Given just the few items mentioned in the foregoing, one can already get a feel for what the Pope meant when he said Apuron's case was "complicated." What was complicated for the Pope was not whether or not Apuron was guilty. The Pope had already said the "evidence is clear" on that matter. What was complicated was how he was going to navigate through the same sort of treachery that we have had to navigate here at Ground Zero Guam these many years. 

Pope Francis' marching orders appear to have been clear: he was to exonerate Apuron. We know this because the power brokers who ordered the Pope to do this were the same masterminds who wrote Apuron's appeal letter for him wherein he aggressively declares that he will be exonerated through his appeal. Apuron's handlers would not have written and stated this so publicly had they not had assurances that Apuron's exoneration and restoration to power was forthcoming. They had their guarantees (most likely from "the Red Pope").

At this point though, it was no longer about the NCW power bosses saving Apuron, it was about Apuron saving the NCW bosses' power. Because Apuron had been so celebrated throughout the NCW, Apuron's flaming fall from his exalted place, especially as the first bishop to be tried and found guilty by a Vatican tribunal in modern times, would so wound the NCW (i.e. undermine its wealth base - the "black trash bags") that it too would follow Apuron down in flames. 

Remember now that we are not talking about the NCW "on the ground" - the evangelism and the communities and what happens there, we are talking about the drivers of the Trojan horse, the power bosses who drive the horse under the guise of "the new evangelization" and have cancerously wormed their way into the veins of wealth and power in almost every corner of the Universal Church. 

This is a topic for another day, but even the sinister NCW bosses are puppets of a higher power, because at root, Kiko's theology is (in the words of Bishop Schneider) a "Jewish-Protestant heresy." And heresy has only one Author: the same who said "you will not die." 

Apuron was well on his way to being exonerated, and if not exonerated, at least he would be given cover to hide under the crafty term "certain accusations," so that the world, and specifically the NCW world, might think that the whole deal was about some mere mismanagement, and that Apuron (per his own story) was the victim of a nefarious real estate salesman (me) who allegedly was in league with a Chinese gambling interest. (SMH)

But then came the McCarrick thing. 

McCarrick, as archbishop of Washinton D.C., had bestrode the the U.S. Catholic world for many years, and in retirement, as we now know, had slithered and slimed his way in to the highest halls of power in Rome, and, specifically, with Pope Francis, had become a king maker, directing Francis (or so we are now learning) as to which of his buddies (think Cupich) would make archbishops and cardinals of powerful, rich American dioceses. 

McCarrick's history proved to be too sordid for Francis to ignore, and as the World glared in on him over the McCarrick thing, Francis' options to help the Neocats (via Filoni) save Apuron, quickly dissipated.

With the Apuron thing hanging over his head, Francis could not very well exonerate the first bishop to be convicted by a Vatican tribunal led by one of the world's most well known and trusted Cardinals (Burke), even if Apuron was a no name himself from a place most of the world knows little about. So Apuron was doomed.

But not yet.

Remember, this is not about the NCW saving Apuron, this is about Apuron saving the NCW...by saving Apuron, even if the lies have to get bigger. Thus, Apuron's response to even the Pope finding him guilty on appeal. As we know, Apuron (actually, his handlers) continues to maintain his innocence, but (and I know exactly who this is aimed at) he continues to cast himself as the target of a calculated conspiracy. 

Yes, "the evidence is clear," but the case is "complicated." And now you know why. And soon, the day is coming when you will know "the rest of the story." 

MASS OF HEALING FOR JOHN TOVES

(Posted by frenchie)

A Mass of healing will take place on Saturday April 13th at 17h00 (5pm) at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Agat for our dear friend John Toves.

As we have noted earlier, John is fighting courageously against a rare form of Cancer.

Please join us to pray for him.

Thank you very much in advance for your participation.

Pax Christi.

ISHIZAKI: APURON NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Ishizaki: Anthony Apuron needs to take responsibility for his crimes

The fall from grace of former Archbishop Anthony Apuron has been adjudicated by the Vatican. But what about closure for the victims?

The church has gone through tumultuous times, with conflicts over sexual abuse of children over many years and the internal squabble between traditionalists and Neocatechumenal Way. CONTINUED

THE WORLD OVER LIVE: APURON

Fr. Gerald Murray: "This man has been found guilty of multiple convictions of the sexual abuse of minors..."

https://youtu.be/NpujmBIVyaY?t=282

Note: I still disagree that laicization would be the ultimate punishment for Apuron. If Apuron was laicized, he could not be kept from returning to Guam, nor could any further discipline be imposed, such as sentencing him to a remote monastery to live out his days in prayer and penance (which is what Pope Benedict 16 did to Fr. Marcel Maciel). 

NEW ARCHBISHOP FOR GUAM

Holy Father Confirms New Archbishop for Guam

Archbishop Michael Byrnes Issues Letter to Faithful

APRIL 06, 2019 22:49 ZENIT STAFF CATHOLIC CHURCH

With the publication April 4, 2019, of the confirmation of the unappealable judgment of the Court of First Appeal against Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes will succeed him as archbishop of the metropolitan see of Agaña, Guam. The Vatican announced the appointment on April 6, 2019.

Archbishop Byrnes released the following letter in light of the Vatican decisions: CONTINUED

SO IT'S ALL COMING OUT NOW...AND THERE WILL BE MORE

For more than five years, I was slandered, smeared, libeled, attacked and threatened by Apuron's Cabal, led by Cristobal and Edivaldo, for supposedly masterminding Apuron's ouster so I could work a real estate deal and get a commission on the sale of this property. 

Like everything else these people have ever said and still say, it was all lies, lies, and more lies. And now the sale of this property proves it. I had nothing to do with the sale of the property and I won't see a dime of commission. 

And what's more, because Apuron's lies were so effective, I actually received calls from potential buyers and I referred every call to the listing agent. So it's all coming out now, isn't it. And there will be more. 

Church awaits court OK for $5.4M former Accion Hotel sale, to pay clergy sex abuse victims

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/local/2019/04/08/church-awaits-court-ok-5-4-m-accion-hotel-rms-sale-pay-victims/3397154002/

PDN: WHAT WE KNOW...

What we know about the Vatican ruling against former Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron.

Guilty verdict upheld

The Tribunal of Second Instance made a decision on Feb. 7, 2019, upholding the verdict announced in March 2018 that found Apuron guilty.

What it means

Apuron is guilty of "delicts against the Sixth Commandment with minors." According to Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes, that means Apuron is guilty of adultery, rape, breaking the rules of chastity and other serious crimes — essentially sexual abuse of minors. CONTINUED

GOT YOU....ANONYMOUS

PDN. APURON'S VICTIMS: HE DESERVED HIS PENALTIES

Walter Denton was in the dugout at a softball game Thursday when his phone received a text alert.

His heart started to beat fast, he said, as he read the news that he's long been waiting for: "Vatican upholds Apuron's conviction in clergy sex abuse cases."

On this same month in 1977, when Denton was a 13-year-old altar boy in Agat, he said he was raped by Anthony S. Apuron, then a parish priest. Apuron would rise to become the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Agana for 30 years. CONTINUED

THE WOLVES

"Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves."

- MASS, IMPOSITION OF THE PALLIUM AND CONFERRAL OF THE FISHERMAN'S RING FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE PETRINE MINISTRY OF THE BISHOP OF ROME, HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI, St. Peter's Square, Sunday, 24 April 2005

On April 4, 2019, Archbishop Byrnes held a press conference relative to the Vatican's release of the news that Apuron's appeal had been denied. After Archbishop Byrnes' remarks, he was asked several questions by the local press. Following are those questions with most of what Archbishop Byrnes answered and to which we add our own notes. (See the posted recording of the conference for the full remarks and Q&A.)

(Our NOTES are only our personal views.)

REPORTER: "...there was not any mention of laicization, does this in effect mean that Apuron can still hold Mass, just not on Guam but elsewhere. If that is the case then what does this conviction truly mean." 

AB: "It means he can never come back to Guam, which is relatively severe. 

OUR NOTE: While in most cases a priest can celebrate Mass anywhere, he cannot do so publicly without authorization (faculties) from the local Ordinary - the bishop of the diocese where the priest happens to be. This may very well be why Apuron had his most recent protestations of innocence translated and published in Italian. He already has a bishop (or bishops) in mind who will give him faculties in Italy where the Neocatechumenal Way is strong. Plus there is always Bishop Camilo Ballin, an Italian confrere of NCW chief, Cardinal Filoni, whose current position (Ballin's) is Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia and who we helped make famous when he surreptitiously took in the fugitive Fr. Luis Camacho. 

But even Ballin is not going to be so bold as to give Apuron a visible position. More than likely Apuron will do exactly what was in the plan for him since 1995 when he brought the NCW into Guam. Apuron, knowing that one day his history would catch up to him, very likely traded control of Guam to the NCW for a promise of protection should the likes of Walter Denton ever surface. So Apuron will continue to minister as a priest in the underground NCW network that has already given cover to Wadeson, Camacho, and probably Cristobal too. 

REPORTER: "Is he still able to ordain priests?" 

AB: "That's an interesting question. The canon lawyers said this is an issue."

OUR NOTE: Apuron has not been removed from the episcopacy, only from his position as the Archbishop of Agana. The prohibition on his being able to wear certain items (insignia) which would indicate he is a bishop, does not make him an "ex-bishop." And as bishop, he certainly maintains the "powers" to ordain priests. The question is "who would want him to?" The answer is easy: The NCW. While Archbishop of Agana, Apuron had already been a servant of the Neocat heads for several years, ordaining men to the priesthood per the orders of his Neocat superiors, even ordaining men who he most likely knew, even in his own compromised state, that he knew he should not have. So most likely, unless otherwise prohibited by the Pope, Apuron will be busy ordaining priests for the NCW, under the shelter of bishops like Ballin. 

One of the reasons there are not clear answers to these questions is because Apuron was the first bishop in modern Church history to undergo a canonical trial, and it appears that there as many questions as to what to do with him now as there were when it was first decided to grant Apuron a canonical trial. Remember it was Apuron himself who demanded a trial, believing he would be exonerated. 

REPORTER: "Does this mean Apuron will still receive a stipend from the Archdiocese of Agana? 

AB: "Yes..."

OUR NOTE: Per Church law, the Ordinary (now Archbishop Byrnes) is always responsible for the material well-being of the clergy incardinated in his diocese, even if they no longer reside in it. So it's not something Archbishop Byrnes can decide not to do. The last figure we heard for Apuron's care was $1500 per month.

REPORTER: "...in terms of healing for the victims, there are those that have expressed that the archbishop (Apuron) should be allowed to Guam, particularly to stand trial for his crimes. Is that something you would be willing to talk to the Vatican about? 

AB: "Yes..."

OUR NOTE: While the case against Apuron personally is still proceeding through the civil courts on Guam, he is not going to "stand trial for his crimes." While the statute of limitations for civil liability was lifted for the sex abuse of minors, the criminal statute was not. Apuron can be found civilly liable for his offenses, but not criminally. In any event, there will still be a trial, and Apuron could be required to appear before the Court, but that might be up to the judge. "The pope won't let me" is not a likely excuse the judge in the civil trial will accept. 

REPORTER: "He's still a Capuchin. And he has a superior and he's not longer a diocesan, so does he have to stay in his community and answer to his superior, and how do we track...?"

AB: (was unsure)

OUR NOTE: When Apuron was consecrated bishop in 1986, he was released from his vow of obedience to his Capuchin superior as well as his vow of poverty - as diocesan clergy do not take a vow of poverty. In short, other than the Pope, Apuron is not beholden to any superior and is a Capuchin in name and dress (if he wants) only. 

REPORTER: "What is the archdiocese's response to Apuron maintaining his innocence?"

AB: "I'm sad. I don't think that's right."

REPORTER: "Were you surprised that he did not even apologize to the victims in Guam in general?"

AB: "Sadly no."

OUR NOTE: As effectively the Archbishop of Agana since late 2016, Archbishop Byrnes has had access to a lot more information than probably anyone other than the  members of the Vatican tribunal who found him guilty. And while, the Vatican's statement is short, terse, and lacking detail, Archbishop Byrnes' very personal response to these two questions says all we need to know about Apuron's lame claim to innocence. 

It's easy to see why Apuron is still claiming innocence. This is no longer about the NCW saving Apuron (restoring him to Archbishop of Agana), but about Apuron saving the NCW, or more to the point, being used to save the NCW. The NCW was so vested in Apuron that for Apuron to go down in flames would be a permanent wound to the NCW worldwide and we'd soon see the end of it. So the NCW heads need to keep Apuron propped up, for no one else to see but their own. 

In his reply, Apuron once again trotted out the conspiracy angle and "new evidence." There is nothing and no one prohibiting Apuron from naming names, but he won't, because he knows that doing so would open the door to lawsuits for defamation.  

REPORTER: "When Apuron dies, will his body be allowed to be brought to Guam and be buried in the Cathedral?"

AB: "Another good question that I don't have an answer for. On the face of it I would say no that he wouldn't be buried here."

OUR NOTE: It is only a tradition and not a rule or a right that the body of a former bishop of a diocese may be interred in the diocesan cathedral. Whoever is Ordinary at the time Apuron passes will probably be the one to decide whether or not Apuron can be buried on local church grounds or even within the diocese.

REPORTER: Lay people pretty loosely toss out the term "defrocked." Can you explain..."

AB: "He was not laicized, but defrocked means your clothing and there's certain clothing he cannot wear now." 

REPORTER: "I guess it would be accurate to say that he was effectively defrocked."

AB: "Yes, but not in the way people think. Laicization means you are no longer a priest. 

REPORTER: "But he still is."

AB: "He still is, yah." 

OUR NOTE: It continues to be a bit maddening to see the clamor for Apuron to be laicized, as if that is the ultimate sentence for guys like Apuron. We need to be reminded that not laicizing Apuron keeps him under the control of the Pope and "saves" him for further discipline, including the equivalent of imprisonment such as being assigned to a cloister to finish out his life in prayer and penance. If Apuron was laicized, he would be a free man, and he has enough private wealth and connections (remember where he was found hiding in 2017?) to live out the rest of his life in security and comfort. Moreover, rarely if ever is laicized clergy banned from living in their home diocese. Apuron was. This is why AB says as the beginning of the Q&A that that is already "relatively severe."  

Additionally, though, the prohibition of Apuron's wearing the episcopal insigna, a new provision of his sentence that was not part of the first sentence, is actually what DEFROCKING is. As AB explained, "de-frocking" means removing the "frock" (clothing). And Apuron can no longer wear anything (mitre, ring, etc.) that would signal his episcopal status. 

REPORTER: "As the head of the Catholic Church here on Guam, how difficult is it would you say to defend the Catholic Faith when you have conflicting decisions where in one instance you have a priest who is laicized who's not and he's still allowed to go forward and be a priest?

AB: "The church is more than it's priests and more than its bishops. It's the place where Jesus Christ is consecrated in the Eucharist. That's what the Church does, it makes Christ visible and tangible to the people of God. We've always been a Church with faults and this is our turn... Nonetheless, the Church is the Body of Christ..."

OUR NOTE: Again, the problem with seeing laicization as a bigger punishment when in fact, at least in Apuron's case, it is not. Though, his not being laicized will still make him useful to the NCW, so we have to suspect that Filoni et.al had something to do with that.

REPORTER: "...when this happens it is the ultimate violation of trust, and the people wanted justice and every individual has their idea of justice in their minds. What message do you have for those who are not only Catholics but to those who critiquing and scrutinizing the Church to reconcile with themselves..."

AB: "Justice is going to mean something different for each person...tell me to your face that you're sorry. And that hasn't happened. I'm standing in the place of Archbishop Apuron..but I'm not him. ...the other aspect is...never again. So we're investing in some of the best things we know how to do to prevent it. We have over 2000 people in our diocese who are trained to be aware of what are the signs of child abuse, whether physical or sexual or emotional. We've got people who are mandatory (mandated) reporters. That's something. And we'll do our best. And you can be sure that if a credible accusation gets through our independent review board, we will take action immediately. We're actually already involved with one right now...

OUR NOTE: Sadly, this is the only place where we feel that AB continues to miss the mark. But he's not alone. The problem isn't pedophilia and it never was. Even the John Jay Criminal Justice Study commissioned by the USCCB which provided the foundation for the so-called "Dallas Charter" (which AB has adopted) noted that only 6% of the victims over a period of 50 years were prepubescent children (mostly boys). Nearly all of the victims were adolescents at the time of their abuse, i.e. "biological adults," and once again, mostly males. So while the victims may be minors, they are NOT "children." 

This is precisely why, upon being raised to the office of Pope, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, and now Pope Benedict XVI immediately initiated a "purge" of the seminaries. Prior to becoming Pope, Ratzinger was Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith, a position which placed him at ground zero of the clergy sex abuse scandals that had erupted 5 years before his being raised to the Pontificate. And this is precisely why Benedict was driven out of office in 2013 by those he called "the wolves."

WASHINGTON POST: SORROWFUL SHAME

Archbishop: Vatican decision closure to a ‘sorrowful shame’

By Associated Press April 5 at 1:03 AM

HAGATNA, Guam — The Vatican’s decision to uphold its conviction of the U.S. territory’s ousted Archbishop Anthony Apuron for sexually abusing minors marks a sorrowful chapter in church history, the current archbishop of Guam, Michael Byrnes, said. CONTINUED

PDN: NEOCAT UPDATE

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2018/03/19/guam-archbishop-byrnes-speaks-vaticans-guilty-verdict-apuron/437020002/

Neocatechumenal Way

Byrnes said he is still consulting on the status of the Neocatechumenal Way, a group within the church whose practices sometimes are at odds with those of Guam's traditional Catholic community. *

"In the meantime, what I established last year is still enforced," Byrnes said.

In March 2017, Byrnes asked for a one-year pause on the formation of new Neocatechumenal Way communities until a review of its teachings and practices is completed.

Apuron allowed the Neocatechumenal Way to take root on Guam and became a follower. He transferred a multi-million property to the Neocatechumenal Way, against the advice of his financial council, which he later dissolved.

The closed Redemptoris Mater Seminary, in the former Accion Hotel in Yona, is one of the 41 properties that the archdiocese could sell to help settle the nearly 160 clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed against the church.

Byrnes said the process of making these properties available for sale is moving forward, although at a slower pace than initially thought.

* MY NOTE: The practices of the NCW are not "at odds with those of Guam's traditional Catholic community." The practices of the NCW are at odds with what is legislated in its own Statute. 

CRUX: FINAL RULING AGAINST APURON

Rejecting appeal, Vatican hands down final ruling against Guam bishop

ROME - The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has rejected an appeal by the now-former Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of Agana, Guam, upholding its judgment of finding him guilty of abuse against minors.

The doctrinal tribunal’s decision is final and no further appeals are possible, it said in a communique published April 4. CONTINUED

ULTIMATELY, APURON BROUGHT DOWN APURON

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/local/2019/04/04/vatican-upholds-apurons-conviction-officially-removes-him-archbishop/3361938002/

Apuron, in his statement, said there's been a coordinated campaign against him. 

"The pontifical secret prevents me from litigating my good name in public, but I wish to take this opportunity to offer my deepest thanks to the many individuals who have privately and publicly come forward in my defense, despite threats and the climate of fear on my beloved home of Guam," he said. 

Apuron said this climate, "shown by the local media, which hampered the work of the court of first instance, testifies to the presence of a pressure group that plotted to destroy me, and which has made itself clearly known even to authorities in Rome."

*****

Apuron already has the opportunity to "litigate (his) good name in public," and no "pontifical secret" can keep him from doing so. It's called a civil case and it is before the District Court. But Apuron has been working frantically to get the case dismissed. 

So he is NOT interested in "litigating his good name." He will be found just as guilty in the civil court as he was found guilty in the FIRST EVER Vatican trial of its kind, and certainly the first ever Appeal of that verdict, NOT TO MENTION that the POPE HIMSELF was very public about deciding the Appeal all on his own.

Apuron is NOT prohibited from naming the so-called "pressure group" or the members of the "coordinated campaign," but he won't. And he won't because there was no "pressure group" or "organized campaign" other than what was already very visible on this blog for nearly six years. 

The only "pressure group" was the group of Catholics who had had enough and finally pulled together to march until Apuron was gone. And the only "organized campaign" was the campaign to tell the truth about Apuron over and over and over, NOT by the media - as Apuron claimed - but by the relentless contributors to this blog, aka "Jungle Nation." 

Let's be clear, Apuron's ouster was NOT brought about by the Media, lawyers, or legislators (e.g. Boston in "Spotlight"). Apuron's ouster was brought about by a group of elderly Catholics who KNEW Apuron all their lives, and who decided NOT to let another generation of Catholics be destroyed by his ilk. 

But ultimately, Apuron was brought down by Apuron. And if you need a demonstration of how he did it, all you need to do is read his statement of April 4, 2019. 

POPE CANS APURON FOR GOOD

Vatican permanently removes Apuron as Guam archbishop, upholds child sex abuse conviction

The Vatican permanently removed Anthony S. Apuron as Guam's archbishop, stripped him of his title as bishop, and banned him from ever returning to the Archdiocese of Agana for sexual abuse of minors.

Rome on Thursday announced that a tribunal upheld the guilty verdict on Apuron, 73.

The Tribunal of Second Instance's decision was made on Feb. 7, 2019, and is considered final.

"This decision represents the definitive conclusion in this case. No further appeals are possible," the Vatican said. CONTINUED

ROMA LOCUTA; CAUSA FINITA EST

This post is dedicated to John Toves, without whose courage nothing would have happened.

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2019/04/04/0286/00582.html

"the Tribunal of Second Instance upheld the sentence of First Instance finding the Archbishop guilty of delicts against the Sixth Commandment with minors."

ROME HAS SPOKEN; THE CAUSE IS FINISHED

But while Rome has spoken and the Cause is Finished, Apuron isn't.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZopzDlVqLzg3ZNSl48qX67VJXZbasZw3