While it has and may still be argued that Msgr. James was the de facto pastor of the Agana Cathedral Parish and thus entitled to canonical rights, having never formally been given that title, his official position remained rector, and thus was subject to a reassignment by the Ordinary at any time.
However, Msgr. James was NOT reassigned. He was removed. And he was removed by Decree.
A Decree of Removal is an extremely serious matter, and Canon Law prescribes it only as a "last resort in a series of attempts to correct a perceived problem." A Decree of Removal effectively declares that "the presence of a particular pastor (or rector in the case of Msgr. James) seriously harms the spiritual or temporal welfare of the parish..." (Canon 1740).
