Saturday, April 6, 2019

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."





13 comments:

  1. How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?
    A VERY UNLIKE ARTICLE DEAR TIM THE PEDHOFIL!!

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  2. The peace a shit comes out How's the family Tim 🎭⛈🏝

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    1. Let me know when you're ready to stop being anonymous.

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  3. Hey Tim you destroyed the church of Guam and you destroy your own family You made up those lying money hungry victims To damage a innocent man You and John paying the price now, No more dancey Bishop, And no more family man

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    1. Let me know when you're ready to stop being anonymous.

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    2. Courageous anonymous hiding in the shadows, like the coward you are. The Church of Guam was destroyed by Apuron and Pius, long before Tim, the LFM and CCOG decided to fight back.
      John knew well the evil he was fighting, when he decided to come forward, he did it, because he was tired of the silence. His cousin still needs Psychological help after all these years.
      It is not surprising that a coward like you would attack a dying man.
      The Fruits of the rotten tree are all what we need to see.
      Apuron was never innocent, even while he was in the seminary himself. He is a deeply flawed individual, the fact that he was able to hide among the sheep for so many years is very troubling. The fact that he is so self centered and such and egoist just makes matter worse.
      So John will not parody Apuron anymore... he does not need too, Apuron does such a great job at making a fool out of himself, with every denial, and every half baked statement his handlers let him publish.
      Yes Tim lost his family thanks to a vicious person living in Barrigada...you should know him well, shouldn't you?
      Justice is slow in coming but Tim will be vindicated sooner than later. When that happens, perhaps you should worry very seriously about your being anonymous, because you are not that anonymous after all.
      So continue to spread your venom, your lies, your slanders while you still can do it without repercussions.
      Tic tic tic, time is clicking....the truth about your identity shall be revealed much faster that perhaps you would like.

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  4. Rose de los Reyes (Seattle, WA)April 10, 2019 at 1:07 AM

    Tim and the Junglewatch contributors ... thank you for this post. It's an informative and enlightening expansion of the Vatican's appellate decision, particularly because of your added commentary. Lots of hard work on your part to keep the truth and the facts rolling about this Apuron matter.

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    1. Thank you Rose, I am sure Tim shall appreciate your encouragements. More than any work, that we all put in, do not forget the personal cost Tim paid for all his efforts. The destruction of his family and the attempts to destroy him as a person and also to destroy him as a professional. All this orchestrated by some of the Neo's zombies and with the complicity of some of the local media and other interested actors.
      Soon we should be able to shed some light on this.
      Please pray for Tim.

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    2. Pray for Tim, the sick f*** Molested his own daughters

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    3. Let me know when you're ready to stop being anonymous.

      Delete
    4. Rose de los Reyes (Seattle, WA)April 17, 2019 at 1:35 AM

      Frenchie, yes, I can’t thank Tim enough for the personal costs --- monetary, tangible, intangible (his is almost like story of Job …) --- borne by him to bring to light the decades long (1) hidden “practice” of child molestation by clergy members Guam’s Catholic Church; and (2) the decades long impaired (I’m putting this mildly) administration of the Church and to (3) shine a light on the NCW’s plan and concerted effort to take over the Church on Guam, produce NCW “priests” from that Accion Hotel “seminary” with which to one day populate the Catholic parishes in all ends of the earth, and perhaps make Guam the NCW capital of the world! Yikes! All done with Apuron and Cristobal leading the charge and, sadly, under the noses of the island’s Catholics who were not protective of their Church. At present, I’m grateful that, while the terrible effects/consequences are still being felt and still making their way in the life of the local Church, all of the above are out in the open and many lessons to learn from it. I’m also grateful that Archbishop Byrnes is more transparent and accessible than to the faithful than pompous Apuron, who loved his title as priest-bishop-archbishop, but didn’t live the life and the responsibilities that come with those designations. Thank you, Frenchie, and others for your writings that contribute to the Junglewatch blog.

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  5. 1) The NCW will do anything (lie, cheat and deceive) to promote the "way".

    2) The aim of the NCW is to destroy the Catholic faith and replace it with a Neocatechumenal religion.

    3) Lie, cheat and deceive = NCW. These are the fruits of the NCW that we are all able to witness.

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    Replies
    1. Deny, Distract, Destroy....nothing has changed. The Neos demonstrate everyday that they're not Catholics

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