A POINT OF FACT

By Tim Rohr

Today, I came across a copy of a letter from the law office of Cunliffe and Cook (signed by Atty. Jeffrey Cook) to Atty. David Lujan. 

The letter, dated August 4, 2016, informs Atty. Lujan that Cunliffe and Cook have been retained as legal counsel "for the Archdiocese of Agana" in the matter of Roy T. Quintanilla et al. vs. Archbishop of Agana et al., Civil Action No.: CV0552-16.

Cunliffe and Cook argue that they represent only the Archdiocese of Agana, not Anthony Sablan Apuron.  

As a point of fact, legally there is no such thing as the "Archdiocese of Agana." There is only "Roman Catholic Archbishop of Agana," which, of course, is a person, and that person is (was) Anthony Sablan Apuron.

The proper name is noted in the Guam District Court's docket:

Cunliffe and Cook, nor any other church lawyer(s), never represented the Archdiocese of Agana. At all times, legal counsel for the "archdiocese" represented a person: the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Agana. 

This is also why the current archbishop should never permit any letter, notice, press release, circular, aviso, etc., to be printed, published, or sent with merely the words "Archdiocese of Agana" as the author, sender, whatever - something that is commonly done.

There is only "Roman Catholic Archbishop of Agana." And he has a name. Use it.