GUAM GROUP WARNS OTHER ISLANDS ABOUT THE NCW

Guam group warns other islands about the Neocatechumenal Way

A group of Catholics on Guam reached out to other islands about the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Neocatechumenal Way is a movement within the Catholic church whose practices sometimes are at odds with those of Guam's traditional Catholic community.

David Sablan, president of Concerned Catholics of Guam, wrote separate letters and made phone calls to leaders of the Catholic church on Saipan, Chuuk, Palau and other islands after learning that the Neocatechumenal Way wants to establish communities there too. Continued

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an article in the Guam press from 2017. It relates directly to David Sablan's most recent post: WHEN WILL THESE HERETICS BE EXPELLED FROM OUR ARCHDIOCESE

 

WHEN WILL THESE HERETICS BE EXPELLED FROM OUR ARCHDIOCESE

 By David Sablan (President, Concerned Catholics of Guam)

Below is a link to an on-line Catholic News Agency article on the Neocatechumenal Way (NCW) in Philadelphia.  

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/philadelphia-archdiocese-asks-two-priests-to-undo-hasty-church-renovations-66304

The news story is about two NCW priests who made renovations to their parish churches including the sanctuaries without the authorization and approval of the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, who directed them to undo all the renovations after the archbishop with parishioners from the two parishes who complained about these renovations.  

Good for those parishioners who complained and praise be to Archbishop Nelson J. Perez of Philadelphia who listened to the complaints from the parishioners; delegated a liturgical expert to investigate the matter; and after receiving the expert’s report, determined what these two priests did was wrong and ordered the two priests to undo all the renovations made and return the churches and the sanctuaries to their original layout.

At one of the parishes, St. Charles Borromeo parish, the NCW pastor converted a basement gym into a worship space for the NCW.  The parishioners used that gym for social gatherings and receptions after funerals.  The parishioners complained their pastor was giving preferential treatment to members of the NCW in the parish.  They felt they were being shoved aside in favor of the NCW’s need for a “place of worship.”  Doesn’t this sound familiar?  

Here at Barrigada, in the lower level of San Vicente church, there is a room used regularly by one prayer group to hold devotional prayers to our Blessed Mother Mary.  One evening the prayer group started their prayers late.  In the middle of their prayers, they were interrupted and advised to finish their prayers in the hallway, because the room they were in needed to be prepared for the NCW, probably for their bizarre mass.  

Back at St. Charles Borromeo parish, the parishioners went so far as to protest to have their NCW pastor removed!  A 76-year old parishioner, Carolyn Jenkins, a devout Catholic and protestor said, “There’s no way he can stay here with all the bad history and signs of racism we have experienced.”  Wow!  

Here are two excerpts from the article:  

“. . . critics point to its unusual liturgical style and have accused it (the NCW) of forming parallel communities in the parishes where it operates.”  

“When the Neocatechumenal Way is present in a diocese, it is often responsible for bringing priestly vocations from around the world, though some critics say those priests do not always integrate well into the local communities they serve.”  

That is because the NCW hierarchy and its lieutenants (priests ordained for the NCW) serve their own communities using the resources of our parishes which should be used to benefit all the parishioners!  They are the cause of divisiveness in our Archdiocese.

Toward the end of the article, Kenneth Gavin, the chief communications officer of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia certainly had the “wool pulled over his eyes” with his comments about the NCW:  

“The Neocatechumenal Way is a distinct charism within the Roman Catholic Church that is sanctioned by the Vatican.  Its liturgical celebrations have some elements that are different from what the parishioners would traditionally experience.”  

Really?  Contrast that with the comments of Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who was a delegate to the NCW in Karaganda, Kazakhstan for several years. In a March 2016 interview at the John Henry Newman Center for Higher Education in Hungary, Bishop Schneider said this about the NCW:  

“It is a Trojan horse in the Church.”

“The Neocathecumenate is a Protestant-Jewish community inside the Church with a Catholic decoration only.” 

The Neocatechumenal Way has been a thorn in our side since we discovered their alliance with disgraced (And now banished) Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, and their plan to convert the Archdiocese of Agana into a model Neocatechumenal Way archdiocese for the world to see.  With Apuron, the NCW had a “quid pro quo” relationship.  They conspired to change and effectively takeover the leadership of the Archdiocese and infiltrate the parishes as well forming NCW communities. 

They needed a local figurehead to lead the “way." Apuron fit that role for them, and a real reward for the NCW was when Apuron, an archbishop, became a member of an NCW community in Agana.  A first for the NCW.  [Editor's note: In hindsight, one wonders whether or not the NCW hierarchy was using what they knew of Apuron's past to obtain the "quid pro quo.']

The NCW have been operating on Guam since approximately1994 when Adrian Cristobal and Apuron invited them to “evangelize” to our local Catholics.  Because of our trust in Archbishop Apuron, we believed this was good for our Church.  [Editor's note: The "them" is a certain Fr. Pius Sammut who, upon arrival, became Apuron's roommate.]

A few years later after the NCW arrived on Guam they were given an asset of the Archdiocese in Yona (for free) to establish an NCW seminary.  Young men from the US, the CNMI, South America, Central America, and Europe came to study at this seminary.  In 2009, the first of these seminarians were ordained priests by Apuron.  [Editor's note: Eventually, the "seminary" was determined to be a fraud. And it was disbanded and the property has been sold to help pay for the massive debts Apuron and his "seminarians" helped to perpetuate.]

One of those ordained in 2009, an Italian, Fr. Fabio Faiola, was assigned as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLOG) parish in Santa Rita.  The parishioners welcomed this new pastor.  Within a short while, his true objective was revealed.  His sermons and homilies were disjointed, confusing, uninspiring - a general characteristic of NCW formed clerics.  

His Italian accent made it difficult for the people to understand what he was trying to preach to them.  He displayed no empathy for the people of Santa Rita.  In one homily, he lashed out at the Mass attendees, lecturing them as being gossipers, always talking about people behind their backs!  Many were offended, not because it was true or not, but he had the gall to include all the villagers in his blanket accusation!   

In the few years he was at OLOG, Fabio did some things that upset the parishioners even more.  

Fabio demolished the priest conbento [the pastor's residence] with no plan for another pastor's residence. 

[Editor's note: Fabio had no plan for a pastor's residence because NCW priests did not live in their parishes. They stayed at their "headquarters," the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Yona.]

Fabio wanted to build an NCW pastoral center on the spot where the priest conbento stood for many years directly across the street from the church grounds.  

The parish had made plans to build a split-level structure on that same spot a few years earlier but paused to raise funds.  It would house the priest on the first level, with a social center on the top level with a garage for the parish vehicle.  Renderings and basic layout plans were developed.

Without any idea where he was going to get the money to build this NCW pastoral center, he went ahead and spent $20,000 of parish funds to demolish the conbento that housed the pastor since the late 1970’s.

To further add salt to the wound, he spent another $20,000 for architectural plans.  Guess to whom he paid the $20,000?  To Giuseppe Gennarini’s son.  Giuseppe Gennarini, Sr. is the head of the NCW in the US and Guam.  

The plans Fabio paid with parish funds were useless.  They were in metric measurements.  They would have to be converted into Imperial measurements (feet, inches, etc.).  Prior to the plans being drawn up, the soil should have been tested and analyzed.  This was not done.  The terrain of the lot is sloped.  There was no topographical survey done.  Fabio had no idea what he was doing.  Gennarini, Jr. is not licensed to do architectural work on Guam, so there was no way to get permits for construction from the Department of Public Works.

$40,000 of church funds wasted and probably stolen.  

It has now been years since the conbento was demolished.  Since Fabio was an NCW priest as well as his successor, Fr. Krzysztof Szafarski, they did not reside at all in the village.  They just said Mass as scheduled and left Santa Rita.  They both were not pastors, but transient priests.  Who knows where they stayed.  [Editor's note: They stayed in their palatial, seaside estate at the former RMS "seminary" in Yona.]

Now Fr. Richard Kidd is the pastor of OLOG parish.  His office is his residence as well.  A bedroom is set up in what was the office of the pastor.  

The parish now must plan and raise funds to build its pastor a decent home.  That $40,000 wasted by Fabio could have been used to spruce up the conbento that Fabio demolished.  The conbento was a well-constructed two-bedroom red brick house with an efil wood and tin roof that was built circa 1959.  It went through many typhoons that came across Guam since Typhoon Karen in November 1962 with minimal damage.  

Because the lot in Santa Rita is vacant, it has been put on the list of assets to be sold to pay for the sexual abuse claims against certain members of our clergy.  Had the conbento been on the lot with the pastor staying there, it probably would not have been put on that list for sale.  

Fabio had the CCD building condemned by the Department of Public Works.  

Fabio called the Department of Public works to come and condemn the CCD building which sat right next to the church building.  The inspector was not a structural engineer nor any type of engineer, but he represented DPW, and his signature on the condemnation report made it an official order of the government not to occupy the building.  The building was locked and taped off.  

The building was originally a storage facility.  The finance council of the parish before Fabio was assigned as pastor, invested money to fix up the building and convert it into CCD classrooms for the children of the parish who went to public schools.  The building has a concrete floor, hollow block walls, and a wood and tin roof.  

Fabio had something else in mind.  He wanted to demolish the church building.  Since the CCD building was next door, he at least got that building condemned which made it easy to say the church building needed to be condemned and demolished as well.  

Fabio started to spread the lie that the church structure was leaning to one side.  He had parishioners stand at the back of the church and ask them to see the church building leaning to one side.  His plan:  To build an NCW-designed church with the altar in the center and the pews set up around it for the NCW communities to sit together in designated sections.  He even got Apuron to go along with his con.  At a fiesta Mass, Apuron preached to the people that they needed to consider demolishing the church building and to work toward building a new one!  

Fabio did not know that in 1998, the church building was hardened after Typhoon Paka (December 1997) blew the wood and tin roof of the church away.  The parish borrowed several hundred thousand dollars from the US Small Business Administration to build a strong, hardened church structure with concrete columns and beams, large footings for the columns, and a strong concrete roof.  The walls of the church were the original ones, but they did not carry the weight of the roof; the new columns, beams, and the large footings did.  And there was a soil test and analysis done preceding the construction.  The architect and engineers were prepared to design the church structure based on that data.

Some of the parishioners asked an engineer to come by and assess the integrity of the church building.  That engineer said the building was strong and there was nothing wrong with construction, nor was it leaning to one side.

So Fabio’s plan for a new NCW designed church was foiled.

The CCD building is still condemned.  Fr. Richard Kidd is now working on getting that condemnation rescinded by the Department of Public Works.  

Fabio fakes a burglary of the statues of the saints and the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Late one evening, Fabio with the help of others, probably from the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, removed all the statues from their pedestals and niches in the sanctuary.  They lined the statues (each about 5 feet in height) down the center aisle, getting them ready to be taken out and stored somewhere not on church grounds or buildings.  

A parishioner happened to be driving by and was curious why the church lights were on at such a late hour (close to midnight), so he pulled his car into the parking lot and entered the church.  He saw what was happening and asked Fabio what was going on?  Fabio responded that he and the others with him stopped burglars from stealing the statues!  They came just in time before the statues were taken away.  

In my opinion, I believe Fabio wanted to replace the statues with paintings of statues by Kiko Arguello.  If this was his intent, then his plan was foiled.  

The statues were returned to their pedestals and niches, but the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was damaged.  So that statue was presumably taken for repairs.  After several years, in early 2016, the statue was located in a storage room at Mt. Carmel School in Agat.  There were no repairs done.  

So, it was taken from that storage room to an artist who immediately repaired the statue.  A few months later the statue of Our Lady was placed on its pedestal in the sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Santa Rita.   

================= 

Our Lady of Guadalupe is one parish on Guam that has been set back by NCW priests who were assigned there for 9 years since 2009.  

As a parishioner of Our Lady of Guadalupe since 1978, I saw a huge decline in the interaction between the pastor and his flock since 2009, when NCW priests were assigned to our parish.  

They were never around except for scheduled Masses and other times they had to be there for administration of the sacraments like First Holy Communion for new Communicants; marriages; etc.  

Guam and our Archdiocese of Agana would best be served without the NCW.  They should be expelled from Guam, never to return.  

Those who followed in the “Way” can be taken care of by good pastors who can establish adult catechesis in their parishes for these adults seeking to know the Truth as taught by Jesus Christ down through the ages by the Pope and his bishops—not by Kiko Arguello and his cohorts.

David J. Sablan

Santa Rita, Guam

FOURTY FOUR PERCENT - 3,1800 VIEWS FROM HONG KONG IN LAST SEVEN DAYS

Over the last 7 days, we have received over 1000 views per day, 44% of which have come from Hong Kong. This has never happened before. Guam was always No. 1. But now it is Hong Kong. Guam is even No. 4. What possibly could have caused this change? Maybe it was this?

 

BE NOT AFRAID. THANK YOU DAVID!

 

It's time for us to stop picking on and waiting around on our religious leaders. The mandate to shut down our religious services was pronounced by the latest secular Nero. So let us speak up where it matters.

As we "little lay people" recently showed the world in what has become the greatest upheaval in the history of the modern church in its upset of the Apuron dynasty and all that has happened since, the onus is on us, the "little lay people," if we really care...and are NOT AFRAID. 

Thank you David Zieber for being "NOT AFRAID." The door is open. Anyone else?

 

Link

David. You are aptly named. 

May this be the first of your "five smooth stones." 

GUAM - THE NEOCATS - AND THE UNHOLY CHINA DEAL

By Tim Rohr

From China To Rome To Athens, Passing Through Guam. The Ups and Downs of Hon Tai-Fai 

(Our Note: This is an article from Sep. 2017, published via a Catholic news website which goes by the name of Cataluna Religio. The article appears to have the typical Neocat overtones. And because the actual article appears difficult to access without going through a myriad of ads, we printed the original article and uploaded it as a PDF here. The article is copied in full below. JW's comments are in [RED] and our emphases are highlighted in yellow. Also note: the article's date of Sep. 2017 is nearly one year after Archbishop Hon Tai-fai ("Hon") left Guam and was replaced by Bishop Michael Jude Byrnes ("Byrnes").

*****

https://www.catalunyareligio.cat/it/node/220578#

The announcement is telegraphic, in “L'Osservatore Romano” of this afternoon:

“The Holy Father has appointed as Apostolic Nuncio in Greece H.E. Mons. Savio Hon Tai-fai, S.D.B., tit. Archbishop of Sila, until now Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.”

But behind these three lines is the sending into exile of the only high official of Chinese nationality in the Roman curia.

[Why would Hon, the "only high official of Chinese nationality in the Roman curia" be sent "into exile" so soon after returning from Guam? Could it be that he did not complete the mission he was sent to Guam to do? 

From what we know...he did not. 

Hon was sent to put down the uprising of the lay Catholic faithful in Guam who had had enough of an abusive archbishop and had also had enough of what appeared to be a surreptitious takeover of the entire Archdiocese of Agana by high-placed Neocatechumenal Way operators.

Hon not only failed to put down the uprising, his miscalculation of the laity's concern led to the enactment of a law lifting the civil statue of limitations on sex crimes against minors which eventually forced the archdiocese into bankruptcy after hundreds of clergy sex abuse victims came forward.]

His displacement, which is geographic as well, from second in command of the powerful Vatican congregation “de propaganda fide” to nuncio in Athens is in fact anything but a promotion.

[At the time Hon was sent to Guam, he was Secretary for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The Congregation had been previously named Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, i.e. "de propanda fide" which was a descendant of the  "Congregation of the Holy Office of the Inquisition." 

And while Hon had no interest in conducting an inquisition into "scandals of every kind" (see below), by, or overseen by Apuron, Hon, at least on his first mission to Guam in 2015 as an "apostolic visitor" (a nicer way of saying "inquisitor") certainly was very interested in conducting an inquisition of certain lay people, including the author of this post. 

When Hon attempted to accuse me of a personal vendetta against Apuron, I held up my hand and stopped him. I then said: "Archbishop. I am the father of eleven children. And as their father it is my duty to help them get to heaven. And I am having to fight against my own Church and people like you to do it."]

Hon Tai-fai had been secretary of the congregation since 2010. And in these seven years he worked actively on the portfolio of relations between the Holy See and China, among other activities participating in the ad hoc committee created by Benedict XVI but not convened again by Pope Francis.

Hon Tai-fai was the point of reference at the Vatican for Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, archbishop emeritus of Hong Kong and an intransigent critic of an agreement with Beijing that would endanger the survival of the Chinese Catholic Church not subjugated to the regime.

A Salesian like Cardinal Zen and a talented theologian, Hon Tai-fai was a member of the international theological commission and edited the Chinese translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It came as a surprise last year when he was sent to distant Guam, in the Pacific, as apostolic administrator, with the task of restoring order to the diocese of the island, devastated by scandals of every kind. 

[There was never any intention by the Congregation or by Hon to do anything about the sex abuse allegations against Apuron or any of the other "scandals of every kind." As the article states, Hon was sent here to restore order. But why send the second in command of one of the Vatican's most powerful offices to "distant Guam?" 

The answer would become clear when the content of a letter from Hon's boss, Cardinal Filoni, was leaked. Filoni, the Neocats best friend in the Vatican, was the wizard behind the curtain, and Filoni probably smelled trouble for his NCW friends if Apuron came tumbling down. So he sent Hon to "distant Guam" to stamp out the uprising.]

Charged with accusations of sexual abuse dating back decades and under pressure from the nuncio, the German Martin Krebs, to tender his resignation “at the pope’s behest,” the archbishop of Guam, Anthony Apuron, a Capuchin and a fervent supporter of the Neocatechumenal Way, flew to Rome in May of 2016, to explain his innocence to Pope Francis, but was not able to get an audience. After returning to the island, he suspended himself and asked Rome to send an apostolic visitor, who soon arrived in the person of none other than Hon Tai-fai. 

[First, we note that Apuron never returned to Guam, at least not publicly. Second, we know that Apuron indeed did NOT suspend himself. And, third, Apuron did NOT ask Rome to send an apostolic visitor. 

Apuron had no authority to suspend himself and Apuron did not request an apostolic visitor (Proof of that another time.) 

The article tells us that the pope would not even grant Apuron an audience. The only "audience" Apuron had with the pope was Apuron's crash of a receiving line for bishops to greet the pope just days after Apuron fled Guam after Roy Quintanilla, Apuron's first accuser, came forward in mid-May, 2016.

Slideshow

[The narrative this article attempts to deliver is right out of the Filoni-Neocat playbook. In fact, the pictures from Rome, showing Apuron desperately trying to get the pope's attention in a receiving line, further angered the Catholic laity and strengthened their resolve.

And there is also the matter of the author of the article characterizing the then-nuncio to Guam as "The German Martin Krebs." This characterization is a certain clue to what is behind the article. 

The underlying objective of the Neocatechumenal Way is the "Jewification" of Catholicism. (Thus, Bishop Schneider has called the NCW a "Protestant-Jewish heresy.") So by making the then-nuncio, Archbishop Krebs, out to be "The German," the idea is for readers of the article  is to see Krebs as the Gestapo, and Apuron, a persecuted Jew.

Given the real suffering of real Jews under the horrors of the real Gestapo, this characterization is pathetic and reprehensible.]

He first ordered the priests of the diocese to resign from their positions, and then proceeded with new appointments that put back in the saddle the priests who had previously been demoted by the bishop and his inveterate adversaries, first among them the former pastor of the cathedral,  James Benavente, with terrible credentials as an administrator, less than exemplary virtues and a flagrantly luxurious lifestyle, and in spite of this a close friend of Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, an emblem of the new “poor” Church of pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

[The article cites no source for the foregoing. And in not citing its source, it functionally cites its source, i.e. a Neocat operative...or maybe even Apuron himself. The blog/website, where this article was originally published, was in the Catalan language (per Frenchie). How could someone in a remote area of  Europe (Northern Spain) have such inside information as presented in the foregoing paragraph? 

The other dead giveaway is the full frontal attack on Msgr. James Benavente, something we in Guam have come to immediately link to Benavente's most vitriolic enemy. And, no, it is not Apuron. It is a certain Adrian Cristobal - who, per last report, has now been "defrocked" after being a fugitive from the Archdiocese of Agana since early 2017. But that is a story for another post.]

Hon Tai-fai  remained in Guam for five months, until the appointment as new coadjutor archbishop of the diocese - meaning with right of succession - of the American Michael J. Byrnes, who continued working in the same direction.

[There is an attempt here to cast Byrnes as an anti-Apuron operative. But the writers of this article are increasingly giving away their pro-neocat bias. Both Hon and Byrnes were not anti-Apuron. 

Hon (for those of us who lived through it in Guam) did everything he could to hose down the anti-Apuron fire that - by the time Hon got off the plane in "distant Guam" - was already consuming the chancery and burning out the rats.

After Byrnes arrived, it became quickly evident that Byrnes had little idea of what he had signed up for. And the NCW operators launched quickly into action to prejudice the otherwise kindly and peace-seeking Byrnes.]

The price for this upheaval was mainly paid by the Neocatechumenal Way, which had its “Redemptoris Mater” seminary closed and was almost expelled from the island. Curiously, the prefect of “propaganda fide,” Cardinal Fernando Filoni,  is however a great supporter of the Neocatechumens, unlike his then-subordinate Hon Tai-fai, and the events in Guam must have widened in no small part the chasm between the two and hastened the latter’s removal from Rome.

[At this point, this article hardly needs further comment from JW as to its origins and objective: the characterization of both the Neocats and its sainted advocate (Apuron), as meek and helpless victims of "The German Martin Krebs."

Meanwhile, in February of this year Francis sent Cardinal Raymond L. Burke to Guam in his capacity as a canonist, to substantiate or not the accusations made against the self-suspended bishop Apuron. Burke and four other judges, all bishops, will have to make their ruling soon.

[Note Well the FALSE characterization of Apuron as "the self-suspended bishop." Interestingly, the author of this article appears to be simply taking dictation. The author doesn't even know that Apuron, at this point, is not "bishop" but still Archbishop.]

Which, if it should recognize Apuron’s innocence, would again force the diocese into yet another rearrangement, of a character opposite to that set in motion by Hon Tai-fai, who as of today has been sent not very courteously to the modest nunciature of Athens. To conduct diplomacy, but farther than ever from Beijing.

[While this may appear to be an "inside the Vatican" political vendetta against Hon for "screwing up" in Guam, recent news relative to the Vatican-China deal now explains a lot more. 

Hon was a supporter of the anti-communist Catholic Church in China and Pope Francis appears to have recently cut a a deal with the pro-communist "patriotic" church in China in return for billions. Did China buy Francis? 

Maybe. 

But if it did, that would certainly explain the NCW sales pitch of "priests for China" - a sales pitch which provided the fund-raising basis for raising millions from the people of Guam to support the local Redemptoris Mater Seminary. 

While we at JW believed the "priests for China" pitch was a fraud, we now admit we were wrong. The Neocat hierarchy, via Apuron and the RMS seminary, really were producing priests for China. 

But it appears that the reason the Neocats had the backing of Francis is because the RMS "priests" were meant for the communist church in China. 

And THAT...explains a lot of things.]

The Vatican’s Unholy China Deal

A Chinese cardinal accuses Rome of dangerous naiveté about communism.

Wall Street Journal. Feb. 17, 2020. 

Note: The Wall Street Journal may require a subscription to read the full article. In the alternative there is this:

Cardinal Zen: 'Parolin manipulates the pope,' and Vatican's China policy is 'immoral'

Catholic News Agency, Mar. 20, 2020

And this:

Did US Bishops Make a Deal With the Democrats, Like the Vatican’s Alliance With China?

The Stream. Aug. 18, 2020

OOPS!

Coronavirus outbreak in southern Italy linked to Neocatechumenate retreat 

ROME – As Italy’s coronavirus crisis continues, four small towns in the southern Italian province of Salerno have been placed under quarantine due to an outbreak of the pandemic that reportedly originated in a spiritual retreat led by the Neocatechumenal Way, one of the “new movements” in the Catholic Church. CONTINUED

WHERE ARE THE ARCHDIOCESE LEADERS?

Posted by Frenchie

 

 

 

 Last Sunday, I asked on this site, if the Catholics of this island had been betrayed once more. Sadly the answer is YES.

Guam's Catholic are in their great majority very nice people. For thirty years, under Apuron, they have endured the corruption, the lies, the misrepresentations and continued to forge forward, thanks to a strong laity and despite its own clergy.

Yet the cracks in the facade, have been numerous and growing.

We noticed often during our struggle against Apuron's chancery, that many people (good people) decided to leave the Church and try to exercise their faith with other christian communities. For those of us old enough to remember Guam back in the 70s or 80s, one of the striking change, has been the strong growth of protestant  and evangelical communities. The reason being was the failure of the Catholic leaders to address the tenets of our Church, and abandoning their own flock.

This week, if you have a TV or computer in your household, it was difficult not to be bombarded by the media drumbeats, regarding the ins and outs of the DNC National convention in Milwaukee.

 

We were sold in an almost biblical approach, the arrival of the 1st woman of color candidate for VP, as if she was a new messiah of sort. This was disturbing, in view of Mrs Harris strong anti Catholic record. This convention also saw the intervention of a pro abortion Nun, as well as a priest advocate of the gay lifestyle, propped up to woo any confused Catholic to support this ticket.

Again, more examples of the wreck that our Universal Church has become.While many Catholics have managed to hold on to their faith and continue to believe in the truths professed by our Church.

" What does it mean to be convinced of the truths of the faith, but completely flummoxed by the institution's insanity, its debauchery, its insularity, its corruption, its mendacity, its feckleness, its uselessness? How does one believe in the Church, but see no visible sign of Sanctity?" (1)

Two years ago, the local Democratic Party advanced unto the electors the notion of modernity in electing the 1st female Governor, as well as the 1st openly gay Lt. Governor. Many local Catholics cheered the novelty, without grasping the kind of evil, we were letting in our midst.

Not that the LT Governor, and/or the Governor are evil people. The testimonies to their being "nice people" are countless. For the many reasons already highlighted on this blog, Guam's mother Church  has been left ineffectual and compromised.In doing so, the faithful have been abandoned without true moral guidance, and the candidates with a false sense of laissez faire.

As a consequence of that election, and facing a unique, and mostly avoidable crisis, it has become sadly obvious that the leadership at Adelup are well over their collective heads. Their obvious moral shortcomings have become a hindrance to be able to make the good technical and moral choices necessary to fight this plague, without endangering the well being of the population at large.

Unfortunately our political leaders are being blinded by false science and a total lack of moral compass.

This situation has been reached, because our Church leaders, from the Archbishop to the Chancellor, to the Vicar General, and the many priests sitting on the different vicariates and commissions, or those writing regular opinion pieces in the local press, have failed us, by not leading the intellectual , spiritual and moral fight in the public arena.

Where is the outrage, regarding our government almost total abandonment of the tens of thousands of now jobless guamanians, who once again are being penalized, through no fault of their own? 

Where is the famous Catholic Charity in all this?Why don't we have anyone in the Church, raising the standards of St Michael or St Martin of Tours?(the faces of Charity and the fight against Evil)The only things we hear from the Chancery are excuses and false debates about charity and the definition of certain words, while tens of thousands are running our of physical and spiritual food.All the while our youth are being abandoned to despair and lack of guidance.

How can anyone at the chancery sleep soundly?

Perhaps Archbishop Byrnes should read about the works of Bishop Henri Francois-Xavier de Belsunce de Castelmoron, who led his diocese of Marseille during the last black plague that hit Europe in 1720. (2)

The similarities are stricking! Religiously, Economically, and health wise.It shows that a bishop can lead on all these subjects.The black plague had been a constant danger to Europe from the 14th century to the 18th century.The Church did not stay in its corner during that period of time, instead it was a leader in drafting many of the health, economical and spiritual remedies. As St Charles Borromeo demonstrated in Milan in 1567.

Closer to us during the infamous Spanish Flu  pandemic of 1918-1919, that killed 50 millions people worldwide and 675 thousands  in the USA, the Church  remained at the forefront of the medical and spiritual battle as embodied by Philadelphia's Archbishop Dennis Dougherty .

 

This kind of leadership, is sorely missed here on Guam at this time.

ARE THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL OF GUAM BEING BETRAYED, YET ANOTHER TIME?

( Posted by Frenchie)

 

 

This Sunday August 16th 2020, shall remain a day in infamy.

 

The Catholic faithful of Guam have had to face decades of challenges and difficulties.

The invasion of the island by Japanese troops, on December 8 1941 was followed by the deportation of most of the Catholic priests to Japan, and the exile of our Bishop to the Philippines.

During the Japanese occupation, only two Chamorro priests remained, and catholic priests from Japan were imported.

We all know the tragic death of our blessed Father Duenas, who unlike many of the priests of today's Church , did not hesitate to face evil in defense of his own beliefs.

After the occupation and liberation of Guam, the faithful had to endure outside masses held by military chaplains, already overwhelmed by their duties to the many troops housed on the island.

 

Bishop Baumgartner took on the task to rebuild the parishes' churches, as well as to wrest away from military authorities the right to open parochial schools, and find enough  priests to tend his flock.

We have seen that unfortunately, some devious characters infiltrated the ranks of our priests, with the consequences we now know.

Archbishop Flores, for better or for worse, and like many of his brothers at the time, swept under the rug, what he knew were evil priests that abused their sheep, mentally, physically and too often  sexually as well. This was our first betrayal. 

 

Guam's Church had to survive more than thirty years under the corrupted leadership of the sexual offender Apuron, who was aided and abetted by a few corrupt clericalist, and the silence of countless others.

This was the second and deepest betrayal.

When Apuron was exiled by Pope Francis, never to return, many felt relieved and vindicated.One of the reason for these feelings was the arrival of Archbishop Byrnes.

A cleric very different from Apuron. self effacing, approachable, willing to listen to all, without preconditions. This was for many a breath of fresh air,  a much welcome departure from the dictatorial approach of Apuron and his minions.

Many measures were taken to heal the deep wounds inflicted on this Church by Apuron.The chancery opened their hearts and ears to the survivors, and the greatest majority of the faithful were appeased and consoled by this new approach.  

The Archbishop put some restrictions on the once almighty NCW, even as he continued to be frustrated by their defiance and refusal to recognize his authority.Overall, one might say, that for the large majority of the Catholics of this island, Archbishop Byrnes was a welcome change.

 

For some of us, more in tune with the realities of our church, several issues caught our attention which made us pause, and be concerned about some of the details.Yet the consensus was to let the Archbishop do his job and support him to the best of everyone's own abilities.

*For my part, the biggest question mark, was and remains the fact that Archbishop Byrnes was chosen by Cardinal Filoni.

Cardinal Filoni, has not been our friend over the years, to the contrary. He has been one of the leading patrons of the NCW  and its leaders, here and abroad. Had Archbishop Byrnes met with Filoni, earlier in his career, when he studied in Rome? What were the arrangements behind this "promotion"? Were promises made to the Archbishop?

We certainly do not have the answers to these questions, and can only surmise at this point and time.Suffice to say, that this is the kind of second guessing that makes you scratch uncomfortably the back of your neck.

The second alarm bell went off, when after much commotions and hesitations, the Archbishop appointed his personal friend and confident Fr Ronald Richards as the Chancellor, and special assistant to the Archbishop. One can understand why the Archbishop would nominate Fr. Ronald to these positions, when you consider his lack of trusted priests around him, and the overt rebellion he was facing from the NCW presbyters.

 

At the same time, in hindsight, this was probably the worse choice of personnel made by the Archbishop.Fr. Ron does not like being on Guam, (he is on Loan from the Archdiocese of Detroit).Fr Ron thinks he is the best thing since sliced bred, and he is not shy about saying so.Basically he believes that most of us here on this little island are some kind of country bumpkins.

As some of the pro independence advocates on Guam would say, he has a colonizer complex of superiority. Something I heard in several quarters around the island. (which is not a good omen). In 2018 Fr Ron was the main proponent of the memo that went out to all Catholics about not taking sides in the election, under the danger of loosing our tax status.(not what I would consider the first duty of a priest)

This lukewarm decision, was to lead to a vacuum of leadership for the Catholics who opposed Lou Leon Guerrero, for her life long dedication to the murder of innocent local babies for the past four decades. The consequences of this election are tied up to the disastrous situation we are now facing as an Archdiocese, and an island.

Earlier this year, the Archbishop officially received his pallium from the hands of our new Nuncio, who made the long trip from New Zealand. Several Bishops were in attendance for this nice ceremony. Just two months later the Governor of Guam: Lourdes Leon Guerrero, who had taken office barely a year earlier, declared an emergency, that would change the life of this island and of its Catholic community for years to come.

 

Our governor the CINO in chief for Guam, took it upon herself to trample our 1st amendment rights and stop all religious services. Finally after two long months where no faithful were able to receive the holy sacraments, the liturgical committee, and their contacts at the department of health worked out a series of preventive measures in order to reopen the Churches in a safe environment. Yet the head of the department at the time, Mrs De Norcey erred on the side of dictatorial decision and denied the reopening of the Churches, and sacraments. Fr Gofigan, the head of the liturgical commission, finally had enough and during one of his online homily, he blew the whistle on the shenanigans of Mrs de Norcey and Adelup. Since this was relayed online by the social medias, the scandal blew up, and forced the Archbishop to grow a spine and demand for the reopening of churches. This did not sit well with the Chancellor, and father Gofigan was silenced for standing up for all Catholics on Guam.

While many had been elated by the escape and departure of the former Chancellor, Fr Adrian Cristobal,  the accused child abuser (now on the run). It is hard not to be reminded by the actions of Fr Ron,  about the evil ruling period of Fr. Cristobal. The methods, the lack of integrity, and the propensity to think the faithful are stupid and easily manipulated, are shockingly similar, and frankly quite insulting. The feeling of being an untouchable is probably at the core of this distasteful situation.

Move forward a little over two months. The governor, being a mediocre administrator, facing an increase of Wuhan cases, mostly due to an increase of testing, and not having anticipating the situation decided to re-confine the island.

Upon learning of the Governor's intention, the liturgical committee made recommendations to the chancery, about keeping the churches opened, and continuing with the very successful protocol that had been put in place in all parishes. Protocol, which frankly is a lot more conscientious and advanced that most businesses and medical facilities.

As of Friday afternoon, the Archbishop  agreed that the  parishes should remained opened, while having all the precautions necessary in place.

In the meantime, Fr Ron was working the back channels, and had talked with the Governor, which led to the Archbishop also calling the Governor, and reversing his original decision.

The third betrayal.

Tony Diaz the communication chief of the Archdiocese was asked to prepare a news release. He did so, but Fr Ron again, intervened and had Mr Diaz add the phrase, "Archbishop Byrnes, consulting with the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission"  which was placed at the beginning of the communique, to give the impression that the Commission had acquiesced, which in itself is grossly misleading.

Indeed the commission recommendation were in opposition to go back to parking lot celebrations, and the large majority of the clergy, including some of the fearful ones thought that keeping the masses going was the right thing to do.

This kind of deceitful and dishonest approach is still too fresh in our minds to be accepted from a Chancellor, even if he is a close friend of the Archbishop. Actually, specially because he is a friend of the Archbishop. Perhaps, it is time that Fr Richards returns to his beloved Michigan, and leave these country bumpkins deal with the challenges of our faith.

Archbishop Byrnes upon his return on October 2nd should make it a priority to right this wrong, at the chancery. You just need to go in the parking lot of your parish to see, and hear the deep distress of the parishioners, and their painful loss of trust, in what started as a hopeful administration of the Archdiocese. This is most likely the end of the honeymoon period for Archbishop Byrnes, at least until he gets the next assignment he is expecting. A sad development indeed.

In the meantime, it would not be a bad idea for each of you to contact the Chancery and let them know how you feel about this latest betrayal.

MORE TO THE STORY - STILL A THUMBS DOWN

Posted by Tim

After posting two stories (here and here) about priests being denied entrance to GMH to administer "Last Rites" to dying patients, something did not seem quite right about the stories, so I decided to do some of my own digging.

The bottom line is that there is no doubt that the current governor's administration is hostile to the free exercise of religion.

"DPHSS neither supports, nor approves any sacramental services..."spouted the governor's health commissar back in April. 

For months, this meant that Catholics were denied access to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and particularly reception of the Eucharist while access to grocery stores, post offices, public transport, etc. was only limited by protocols requiring masks and social distancing. 

So it comes as no surprise that we now learn that "sacramental services," particularly the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (i.e. "Last Rites") was being denied (and still may be) to dying patients at GMH. 

I say "still may be" because we do not have a clear statement from our local Catholic Church leadership on the matter. And we have an even more unclear statement from GMH, which, rather than issue a statement to clarify the matter, instead, in the person of the GMH administrator, gives a feel-good interview on a local radio talk show wherein the administrator muddies the waters even more. 

Despite the "government-speak" and in between the radio-jocularity, it appears from the interview with GMH Administrator, Lilian Posadas, that the only limitation on clergy visits is to covid patients. 

Aside from the absurdity that if you are dying from covid you don't need "the sacraments," the matter addressed by the two stories appears to involve a non-covid patient at GMH.

So the question is - at least per what Lilian Posadas said just a couple days ago - the "first priest" should have not been denied access to the hospital, but yet he was.

I personally checked with the "first priest." It turns out that while the "first priest" was denied access to the emergency room to anoint the patient, the "first priest" immediately contacted certain personnel at GMH and was able to arrange for the patient to be anointed by another priest, reportedly the regular hospital chaplain - which is exactly why there is a hospital chaplain. 

Unfortunately, both Lifesite News and Church Militant framed their stories more about a certain GMH security guard reportedly losing his job over the matter than the much larger and more important issue, which is the nationwide - if not worldwide - attack, under the cover of covid, on God.

(SATAN never sleeps.)

Mr. Glemann, the security guard who self-reported the stories should be commended for pushing the issue to the fore and perhaps forcing both the government (the hospital) and local Catholic Church leadership to act.

However, why and how he lost his job is still not clear and should Mr. Glemann wish to do so, he can send JW his termination papers (junglewatch.info@gmail.com) and we will publish them here in an effort to assist Mr. Glemann to find both support and justice if he was unethically fired. 

While there is no question that most of our Church leadership continues to hide - just as most did throughout the Apuron thing, the real issue is Guam's Catholic laity. 

It is "we," the laity, who elected to the position of Governor of Guam, the most public proponent of death in the womb. 

There was no secret about LLG's decades of abortion advocacy. And it became even more apparent after LLG was elected, when, pre-covid, finding a doctor to come to Guam to kill more babies was LLG's most noted priority. 

And now we complain that LLG's administration is denying us "sacramental services" in general and "last rites" in particular? 

Where's the disconnect? Catholics of Guam? 

If we have learned anything from "the Apuron thing," it is that we, the laity, the "Catholics of Guam" can fix what we care about. But first we have to stop electing people like the ones we have.

Still a thumbs down to the Nero's who run this place and to those who elect them.

STANDING UP TO NERO. COURAGEOUS CLERGY WANTED.

Hospital rules forbid sacraments

TAMUNING, Guam (ChurchMilitant.com) - A hospital security guard who was fired after advocating for last rites is asking for prayers.

(CONTINUED)

THE PRICE OF BEING A LAY PERSON IN A WORLD OF SCARED CLERGY

"I gave Father a stern reminder of his duties as a priest regardless of COVID or any Hospital Policies. The priest felt disrespected and thought I was giving him orders so the conversation ended.”

TAMUNING, GUAM

Hospital fires Catholic security guard for helping priest visit dying woman during lockdown

TAMUNING, Guam, July 31, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A security guard in a Guam hospital has been fired with “no warning” over helping a priest give last rites to a dying patient amid the coronavirus lockdown. Guam, a small island in the Pacific ocean, is a territory of the United States.

Robert Glemann, a married father of three young daughters, told LifeSiteNews that one woman “had a massive brain hemorrhage and … was going to die in the next few hours,” according to nurses.

CONTINUED