TONY ADA'S FREEMASON TIES - A FACTOR IN THE GENERAL ELECTION?

Submitted by a contributor

Google AI says:

 will Tony Ada free mason ties have a negative impact on Catholic voters on general gubernational race

Whether Republican gubernatorial nominee Tony Ada’s Freemason ties will have a net negative impact on Catholic voters in Guam’s November 3, 2026 general election depends on the voter segment, but historical trends and local commentary indicate it will likely cause localized friction rather than a widespread voting boycott. [1, 2]

The primary factors dictating how this dynamic will play out across Guam's highly Catholic electorate include:

1. Direct Backlash from Traditionalist and Devout Catholics

• The Religious Conflict: The Catholic Church holds a historically strict stance against Freemasonry, maintaining that a Catholic cannot simultaneously be a Freemason. Because Tony Ada explicitly identifies as Catholic while maintaining membership in Charleston #44 F&AM, some traditionalists view this dual affiliation as a direct contradiction. [1, 2, 3]
• Active Opposition Campaigns: Traditionalist Catholic commentary groups on Guam, such as the influential blog JungleWatch, have actively campaigned against the Ada-Calvo ticket. Critics have openly urged Catholic voters to reject Ada, framing his fraternal ties and political outreach to non-Catholic organizations as a betrayal of Church values. For this highly devout voter bloc, his Masonic ties are an outright disqualifier. [1]

2. Mitigation via Cultural and Secular Voter Priorities

• Dominance of Economic and Quality-of-Life Issues: For the broader, more secularly minded Catholic population on Guam, day-to-day economic struggles far outweigh fraternal controversies. Exit polling and supporter feedback from the August 1, 2026 primary highlighted that voters are overwhelmingly focused on the high cost of living, outward migration, bad roads, and economic revitalization. Ada's "Guam First Agenda" focuses on these practical, "back to basics" issues, which resonates with voters regardless of religious friction. [1, 2, 3]
• The "CHamoru Culture" Factor: Religious expression on Guam is heavily intertwined with CHamoru culture and familial networks. Ada has historically emphasized that his political philosophy revolves around cultural servant-leadership. Furthermore, he and his running mate, EJ Calvo, strategically kicked off their primary election day by attending morning Mass, maintaining visible alignment with local Catholic traditions to neutralize criticisms. [1, 2, 3]

3. The General Election Matchup Dynamics

• A Polarized Choice: In the general election, the Ada-Calvo ticket faces the Democratic team of Senators Therese Terlaje and Sabina Perez. Conservative Catholic voters who are uncomfortable with Ada’s Freemasonry face a political dilemma: they must weigh their discomfort with his fraternal ties against their likely ideological opposition to the Democratic platform. [1, 2]

Summary Verdict

The Freemasonry issue will cost Ada votes among traditionalist, highly conservative Catholics who follow local religious watchdogs. However, it is unlikely to trigger a mass defection of the general Catholic electorate, as the vast majority of voters are prioritizing concrete issues like the economy, public safety, and government corruption over private fraternal memberships. [1, 2, 4]

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A THIRD (AND FINAL) VIEW OF WHY TENORIO LOST TO TERLAJE

By Tim Rohr

In addition to my previous two theories of why the Tenorio campaign lost to Terlaje (here and here), there is one more possibility that may have contributed to Tenorio's loss: the very visible presence, if not active participation, of Archbishop Ryan Jimenez.

For a while now, Jimenez has been snuggling up to the current top occupants of Adelup. 

On January 17, 2026, right in the middle of the Funeral Mass for Fr. Michael Crisostomo, Jimenez visibly interrupted the Mass, left the sanctuary, paraded right in front of Fr. Mike's grieving family, and rushed to heartily shake the hands of the Adelup duo. 

On February 20, 2026, Jimenez publicly blessed the Josh and Tina campaign headquarters and then joined his heroes on Marine Corps Drive to wave with them.

Thereafter, Jimenez allowed himself to appear as a prop in paid advertisements for the Josh and Tina campaign. 

Recently, Jimenez was seen with Tenorio and his partner at a church in Manila. 

No big deal, maybe. But Jimenez doesn't appear to have any photo ops with any of the other gubernatorial candidates. 

Notwithstanding that Josh and his current boss have brazenly stood for policies and positions mortally condemned by the church, Jimenez is ordained and consecrated to lead; it is just damn unbecoming for a Catholic archbishop to devolve into an ecclesiastical political fanboy.

Credit goes to Josh, though. While Jimenez may have been a willing fanboy, he had to be invited to the party first. Josh, an otherwise astute politician, can be forgiven for wanting to be seen with the archbishop and, more importantly, receiving the arch's personal blessing. (Picture above)

In normal times, especially in Guam, appearing to be in favor with church leaders, especially the archbishop, would be a definite positive. However, these are not normal times. The Catholic Church in Guam, and especially its leadership, was severely damaged after being outed as the most dangerous place in the Catholic world for minors. 

Per capita, Guam's Catholic clergy sexually abused minors, almost all boys, at a rate 14 times that of the Archdiocese of Boston, the diocese which inspired the Academy Award-winning movie "Spotlight," and that number is based just on the known lawsuits. I personally know of many more victims who either settled out of court or chose not to come forward. In short, Guam's clergy sex abuse scandal was simply massive.

Jimenez may think that because he's the "new kid in town," Guam's shame and scandal are not on him. He's wrong. He can smile all he wants, but he has been a priest in this archdiocese (Saipan is part of the Archdiocese of Agana as a suffragan diocese) for 25-plus years. Additionally, he was the late Bishop Tomas Camacho's right-hand man for many of those years, and Camacho was also accused of sexual abuse of minors. 

In fact, I am willing to say that there is not a priest in any of the Mariana Islands who served under Apuron or Camacho who did not know the filth that festered in this church for decades, and that includes Jimenez - and DID NOTHING.

However, as terrible as that all is, and as tainted as it makes Jimenez, there is a larger reason why Tenorio erred in recruiting Jimenez to be a campaign poster boy. 

Those outside the controversy may have only seen the clergy sex abuse scandal as the thing that motivated lay people to band together into the CCOG (Concerned Catholics of Guam) and the LFM (Laity Forward Movement), which ultimately organized into the 54-week picket in front of the Cathedral every Sunday and finally brought the Vatican crashing down on this diocese. 

But it was not the sexual abuse thing that motivated those lay people. It was the abuse of this archdiocese by Apuron and the Neocatechumenal Way, an abuse that continues under Jimenez, and, from all evidence, continues with his blessing. 

Jimenez is in with the Neocats. That's simply the overwhelming, albeit mostly silent, perception, and will remain the overwhelming perception until Jimenez does something about it. But he won't. His promotion to Rome depends on the same people who are hiding Apuron.

I'm sure Josh didn't think of that.

GOOGLE AI'S TAKE ON THE JIMENEZ'S BLESSING OF TENORIO CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS

 Here's what Google AI says after search for "jimenez bless tenorio campaign headquarters:"

Jimenez’s Blessing of Tenorio Campaign Headquarters

Archbishop Ryan Jimenez’s blessing of the Josh Tenorio and Tina Muña‑Barnes gubernatorial campaign headquarters in Hagåtña has drawn political and religious commentary, with some critics citing U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) guidelines on church involvement in politics www.junglewatch.info.

Event context
According to local reporting, Tenorio and Muña‑Barnes launched their 2026 gubernatorial bid with a rally at their Hagåtña headquarters, drawing about 2,000 supporters and a motorcade of over 1,000 vehicles www.nminewsservice.com. The campaign site has been a central hub for their outreach, events, and public appearances www.joshtina.info.

Religious and political controversy
JungleWatch reported that Jimenez’s blessing of the Tenorio headquarters — and his participation in a “wave” procession — could be seen as an endorsement of that candidate team, violating USCCB rules that prohibit clergy from endorsing candidates or using church resources for partisan purposes www.junglewatch.info. While Guam is not part of the USCCB and is under the Oceania Bishops’ Conference (CEPAC), the article noted that Jimenez has in past instances followed USCCB guidelines when convenient and ignored them when not www.junglewatch.info.

Critic’s view
The blog post argued that the blessing, combined with Jimenez’s public appearance at the event, was a “blatant statement of support” for Tenorio and Muña‑Barnes, especially since no similar blessing was reported for other candidates’ headquarters www.junglewatch.info. Critics also pointed out that the action used church personnel (Jimenez and Fr. Joseph Anore) for a partisan political purpose, even if church facilities were not used www.junglewatch.info.

Tenorio campaign stance
The Tenorio–Muña‑Barnes team has not publicly commented on the blessing. Their official site focuses on policy, events, and volunteer recruitment www.joshtina.info, and their rally in Hagåtña emphasized economic and governance reforms www.nminewsservice.com.

Key takeaway
The blessing has become a point of debate because it blends religious symbolism with political campaigning. While Jimenez is not bound by USCCB rules, the action has been interpreted by some as politically partisan, raising questions about the intersection of church leadership and electoral politics in Guam www.junglewatch.info+1.

SCINTILLA IN MANILA?

KANDIT NEWS (8/4/26): Tenorio, Topasna, Rosalin Allowed to Travel to the Philippines at the Same Time LINK

It looks like Jimenez (and his secretary) got "permission" to travel too. Even if Jimenez was already in Manila (on other business), he certainly has made efforts to cozy up to what was then the Tenorio campaign. Apparently it didn't help. 

AI asked if I wanted more information. Here's what it found:

Goyard Sénat Pouch Price Guide

The Goyard Sénat Pouch typically retails between about $500 and $1,300 USD depending on size, with current resale prices ranging from under $500 for smaller sizes to over $1,500 for premium MM or GM models 

THE PROBLEMATIC ESCHATOLOGY OF THE NEOCATECHUMENAL WAY

By Chuck White

ANOTHER VIEW OF OUTCOME OF THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY ELECTION

By Tim Rohr

Yesterday, I posted a short reflection on the outcome of the Democratic gubernatorial election in Guam. 

My position was that the Terlaje-Perez team won because Guam voters tend to favor women, particularly educated women, and more particularly if they physically present well, as Terlaje does. I further posited that this view aligns with the often-jokingly held opinion that Guam elections are glorified beauty contests. 

However, there may be another reason for Terlaje's win and Tenorio's loss, but this reason would have to assume that the majority of Guam voters have matured past the pari and clan systems as well as the beauty contest. And that reason would be that the outcome of the aforesaid primary was a referendum on the administration to which Josh Tenorio attached himself for the last eight years.

Whether or not the current governor’s policies are the reason for the very real and very visible collapse of this island, most evident via a drive through what was once the tourist district, the fact is that said collapse happened on her watch, and Tenorio was right there watching.

During Covid, the governor who fiddled while Guam burned famously told us: “Basically, YOU have NO say!” 

At a March 15, 2020 forum hosted by the Guam Medical Association, the Red Queen (Bob Klitzkie's name for her) tyrannically demanded fealty from her subjects:

“The governor has the authority for everything. I can say: ‘You are now under government authority and this is what I want you to do. I have the authority to take money. I have the authority to take property. I have the authority to move personnel. Basically, you have no say.”

She was right. We had no say.

Until now. 

A SHORT ANALYSIS OF GUAM'S DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY ELECTION OUTCOME

By Tim Rohr

Many Guam voters are scratching their heads over the outcome of the Democratic gubernatorial primary. 

Many think Josh's loss is due to the PUA scandal. I'm not one of them. In fact, as I've shared publicly among friends, such scandals, in Guam (and elsewhere), have historically proven to be a resume enhancement. So it "ain't" that.

The answer is actually very simple, and it was the constant mantra of the late-great Bob Klitzkie, who told me many times that in Guam a decent-looking female candidate, regardless of her other credentials, would always have an automatic edge over a male candidate, regardless of his credentials, even if they are superior to his female opponent.

Bob's theory holds up under his other mantra (though not his alone) that Guam elections are little more than beauty contests, beauty contests which even trump the "pari" system. 

Therese Terlaje, even though she is not as young in real life as her campaign pictures show her, nevertheless knows how to present well. 

Add to that her academic and professional credentials, credentials most Guam voters traditionally give points to, as well as her respected lineage, and voila, you have the top vote-getter in several past senatorial elections, and, thus, no surprise that she is the winner on the Democratic side. 

But, you may say, the same formula did not work for Mary Torres. Well, there's one more thing. 

While Torres is a woman and far better looking than Jim Moylan, Moylan, even in the last election when he triumphed over someone who might have been a beauty queen at one point, has a quality that overcomes Klitzkie's mantra, and speaks to Guam voters louder than sex and looks: warmth. 

Jim has the sort of smile that automatically makes you like him, trust him...and vote for him, at least in Guam, and regardless of any merit. 

The bottom line, though, is that vote-getting comes down to one thing: presentation, which upholds the old saying: "If you don't have a pretty face, learn how to sing." Moylan learned how to sing. Josh and Tina didn't. 

AN UNEXPECTED EXONERATION

 It's on Substack. 

SPIRITUAL ABUSE IN THE CHURCH AND THE PERSONALITY CULTS

From a JungleWatch Contributor:

The Anatomy and Governance of Spiritual Abuse in the Church

I. Definition and the Psychological Trap of False Consent

Spiritual abuse is a deliberate, invasive, and insidiously coercive manipulation of a person’s decision-making faculty, executed under the pretext of spiritual guidance for the abuser’s financial, sexual, or psychological gratification. It operates primarily as a form of spiritual seduction. Externally, it bears the appearance of full, free consent, rendering objective incriminating evidence difficult to secure. Internalized by the victim, this manipulation breeds deep guilt for having been "fooled" into submission. Because guilt is psychologically destabilizing, the victim frequently capitulates to the abuser’s soothing reassurances that nothing is amiss, effectively trapping the subject in a self-perpetuating cycle of abuse.

II. The Structural Genesis: Pseudo-Mysticism and Personality Cults

The institutional foundation of spiritual abuse begins when a founder or superior subtly insinuates the idea among subjects that the institute’s approved constitution is a mere "ecclesial necessity," claiming direct, divine inspiration that transcends written law. When early adherents concede to this premise, the abuse is granted structural license. Driven by a misplaced sense of loyalty to the charismatic figure, these members form a defensive shield around the founder. Consequently, during subsequent canonical investigations, they actively obstruct the truth, often resulting in an unwarranted "clean chit" that leaves the systemic rot intact.

III. Canonical Limitations and the Impunity of Internal Abuse

When a vulnerable adult recognizes abuse and reports it, achieving a conviction under secular penal codes or standard canon law is exceedingly difficult due to the facade of prior consent. While multiple allegations—particularly regarding sexual misconduct—can break through this impunity (as seen in high-profile cases like that of Fr. Marko Rupnik), psychological, financial, and governing abuses remain frustratingly difficult to codify.

Historically, the Holy See has issued directives to protect the internal forum—the sacred domain of individual conscience—from being weaponized by superiors. Key protections include:

• Canon 630 §5: Strictly forbids religious superiors from inducing subjects to make a manifestation of conscience.

• The Decree Quemadmodum (1890): Promulgated by Pope Leo XIII, this landmark decree explicitly prohibited superiors from demanding or encouraging public confessions or secret accounts of conscience, recognizing it as a severe infringement on human liberty.

• Restrictions on Sacramental Confession: Canon Law forbids superiors from hearing the confessions of subjects unless explicitly requested, ensuring disciplinary authority is never conflated with sacramental absolution.

Despite these boundaries, when an association operates with an opaque internal culture, these regulations are systematically circumvented.

IV. The Scriptural Touchstone: Evaluating the Fruits

Because legislating the internal forum is nearly impossible, Church authorities must evaluate these communities by their external reality. Scripture provides the definitive criteria: “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).

The evaluation of a movement's fruits cannot be inward-looking, self-referential, or restricted to the testimonies of its own members. Instead, authorities must examine the verifiable, external impact of the community’s apostolate (Charism) on the wider Church and the marginalized. If a movement lacks outward-facing fruits of authentic charity, its claim to a divine origin is nullified, and the institution should be suppressed.

V. A Paradigm for Authentic Ecclesial Charisms

To prevent abusive structures from taking root, the Holy See must establish a rigorous, objective framework to evaluate the validity of any new charism. A true charism, as a genuine gift of the Holy Spirit, must satisfy three indispensable criteria:

1. Ecclesial Necessity and Transparency: The charism must meet a genuine, manifest need of the contemporary Church. Its theological and pedagogical framework must be entirely transparent, not obscured by esoteric or guarded teachings (a criticism frequently levelled against the catechetical stages of the Neo-Catechumenal Way).

2. An Outward-Facing Apostolate: The chief works of the movement must materialize the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy. The apostolate must be missionary and oriented toward serving the broader body of Christ, rather than being insular or preoccupied with institutional preservation. 

Since contraries cannot coexist in the same subject at the same time, members living in an abusive environment cannot bear good fruits through their apostolate. If the charism is purely spiritual, it must mandatorily be either cloistered or possess a very fluid governing structure, as seen in associations like sodalities and the Legion of Mary, without governance models akin to the Neo-Catechumenal Way.

3. Strict Canonical Governance: The hierarchical structure, exercise of authority, and management of temporal goods and finances must strictly conform to Universal Canon Law. Power must not be concentrated indefinitely within a founding elite or an unregulated parallel hierarchy.

VI. Conclusion: The Injustice of Institutional Attrition

From the present state of the Church, it seems Vatican authorities prefer to avoid the dirty work of suppressing abusive movements and institutes. By choosing a policy of passive attrition—allowing a flawed institute to continue existing in the hope that it will naturally die out—they abdicate pastoral responsibility. This administrative passivity constitutes a grave failure of accountability. For current victims, institutional silence acts as a profound spiritual injustice and a form of secondary victimization, prolonging trauma under the very eyes of Church shepherds.

Lastly, the universal level of spiritual abuse is mirrored when an abstract paradigm like ‘The Synodal Church’ is imposed without precise definitions rooted firmly in Scripture and Tradition. When governance shifts toward personalized agendas that capitalize on the faith of the faithful, the music is dictated by spiritual abusers and the resulting dance is called the Synodal Church.

PDF here

 

TWENTY MILLION AND COUNTING

As of August 3, 2026

1.9 million per year

164,000 per month

3,000 per week

450 per day

Interestingly, more than 10 years after the events that brought this blog to prominence, there is a very large resurgence in interest. June 2026 had 1.2 million views, and July closed out with 600,000+, mostly views of those stories from ten years ago. 

PRIMARY ELECTION ON AUGUST 1ST. A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE.

 Posted by Frenchie

This Saturday August 1st 2026 voters on Guam will cast their ballot to select who will be on the ballot in the November 3rd general election. The field of candidates is a little larger than on previous primaries, at least of recent past. For Catholics it can be a little confusing to navigate the field of candidates, specially since the claims on social media are as numerous as they are fantasist  for the most part.

For many Catholics, the choice can be Cornelian at best. If you are pro life from birth until natural death, many of said candidates should be easy not to vote for. The situation becomes a little more mirky with some of the Republican candidates. The confusion is particularly stark with the candidacy of Tony Ada. I have already written extensively about the issues surrounding his membership with the Masonic Temple, and his getting close to some very anti catholic organizations. 

While the likes of Josh Tenorio, and other candidates who would do anything for a vote, can be understood, even if you do not condone it, it becomes problematic for candidates like Tony Ada, when you try to grab votes from people that are openly opposed to the values you profess publicly.  I was therefore not surprised, but still very disturbed to see the Ada Calvo campaign take a full page ad in the Post to celebrate the 112 anniversary of the Filipino congregation of Iglesia ni Cristo, the masonic pseudo Christian and rabid anti Catholic organization which works tirelessly to combat the Catholic faith.

Therefore, I humbly suggest that if you intend to vote for a republican candidate for Governor, the Ada Calvo ticket should not be an option, and instead chose their opposition. We do not need a potential Governor who is willing to support enemies of the Church.

THE WHISTLEBLOLWER OF AGANA

# The Whistleblower of Agana: An Analytical Study of Tim Rohr, Civil Advocacy, and the Institutional Crisis in Guam's Catholic Archdiocese

By GEMINI (emphases added)

The socio-religious history of Guam underwent a fundamental realignment during the 2010s, driven by an intense governance and abuse crisis within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agana. At the center of this institutional confrontation was Tim Rohr, a local real estate agent, devout traditionalist Catholic layman, and investigative blogger. Through his website, *JungleWatch*, Rohr evolved from an ideological ally of the archdiocesan hierarchy into its most formidable public adversary. His sustained documentation of diocesan administration exposed structurally opaque financial practices, severe governance conflicts involving foreign lay movements, and decades of concealed clerical sexual abuse. This advocacy ultimately contributed to the canonical conviction and exile of Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, the passage of landmark civil legislation on Guam, and an unprecedented restructuring of the island's ecclesiastical institutions.

## Profile and Ideological Foundations

Prior to his role as an ecclesiastical whistleblower, Tim Rohr operated within Guam's public sphere as a conservative civic advocate and orthodox Catholic layman. A real estate broker by profession and a father of eleven children who regularly attended the traditional Latin Mass, Rohr’s socio-religious worldview was anchored in strict doctrinal orthodoxy and traditional liturgical practice. Throughout the late 2000s, Rohr engaged prominently in local legislative politics, particularly regarding pro-life and family policy initiatives.

Working alongside civic groups such as *Lina'la' yan Esperansa* ("Life and Hope"), Rohr and members of his family, including his daughter Mia, frequently submitted formal testimony before the Guam Legislature. Most notably, during the 29th Guam Legislature's deliberations on Legislative Bill 374—the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2008—Rohr and his allies vigorously advocated for statutory prohibitions on late-term procedures, framing the measure as an essential legal protection for the unborn. During this period, Rohr’s political trajectory aligned closely with that of Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron.* Both figures mobilized public sentiment against legislative proposals concerning legal abortion access, casino gambling, and the recognition of same-sex unions. Demonstrating his early adherence to legal and institutional stability, Rohr even opposed a 2011 legislative effort that sought to temporarily lift the statute of limitations for civil sexual abuse lawsuits—a policy position he would dramatically repudiate half a decade later as the systemic nature of church corruption became undeniable.

*GEMINI would not have known the backstory on this. Apuron did nothing relative to my pro-life legislative efforts. He also did nothing to oppose legislative efforts to legalize same-sex unions. In that regard, it was Fr. Francis Walsh, a Neocat, who publicly opposed the legislation and did so via Apuron's stationery to make Apuron look like he was actually doing something. Also, I had nothing to do with Apuron's campaign against gambling. In fact, I publicly criticized his misuse of the pulpit in that regard. Much of this will be laid out in great detail in my upcoming book: "Orchestrated."

## Institutional Fractures: The Neocatechumenal Way and Property Governance

The ideological alignment between Rohr and the archdiocesan leadership broke down over administrative and theological divergences concerning the Neocatechumenal Way (NCW), a post-Vatican II itinerary of Christian formation introduced to Guam in the late 20th century. Traditionalist Catholics, led in the public arena by Rohr, asserted that the NCW operated as an insular, sectarian movement that altered canonical liturgical norms, fractured parish cohesion, and marginalized native Chamorro Catholic customs.

The primary catalyst for open institutional conflict centered on the control and administration of diocesan real estate, most notably the Redemptoris Mater Seminary (RMS) located at the former Accion Hotel property in Yona. Archbishop Apuron sought to grant the NCW perpetual access and administrative control over the multimillion-dollar, oceanfront facility, which had been acquired using archdiocesan financial resources and bank loans secured by parish contributions. Rohr and lay research collectives, including the Concerned Catholics of Guam (CCOG), conducted exhaustive reviews of land title deeds, corporate filings, and canonical regulations. They revealed that Apuron had executed deed restrictions and corporate restructurings that effectively transferred operational control of the property to an independent board dominated by NCW leadership, circumventing the necessary oversight of the Archdiocesan Finance Council and the Holy See.

The Chancery defended the property transaction, maintaining that the Archdiocese of Agana remained the sole legal owner under its Corporation Sole status, and emphasizing that the seminary provided vital theological formation accredited by the Pontifical Lateran University. However, administrative actions against respected local diocesan priests escalated public suspicion. In 2013, Archbishop Apuron removed Father Paul Gofigan from his pastorate at Santa Barbara Parish in Dededo, an action critics attributed to Gofigan's resistance to NCW practices within his parish. This was followed in July 2014 by the abrupt ouster of Monsignor James Benavente, Rector of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica and Director of Catholic Cemeteries. The Chancery publicly accused Benavente of financial mismanagement involving millions of dollars in debt and credit card expenditures. Rohr published detailed commentaries refuting the Chancery's claims, demonstrating that Benavente's financial decisions had been authorized by diocesan councils, and alleging that the charges were orchestrated to remove a prominent native priest who opposed the NCW's financial demands.

## JungleWatch and the Dynamics of Lay Resistance

In 2013, Rohr established *JungleWatch*, a digital platform initially designed as a repository for news articles regarding the Archdiocese of Agana. The blog rapidly evolved into a major investigative forum and public outlet for disaffected parishioners, whistleblowers, and local clergy. By maintaining an open, unmoderated comment environment, *JungleWatch* systematically dismantled the traditional island taboo (*mungnga sangan*) against challenging ecclesiastical authority. The blog generated over 8.2 million views and attracted an international readership following Catholic governance issues.*

*As of today, 7/29/26, there are 19,918,822 views. The page view counter is in the sidebar.

The archdiocesan leadership responded to *JungleWatch* with aggressive public and institutional countermeasures. Priests affiliated with the Chancery instructed parishioners from the pulpit that reading the blog was sinful, while official archdiocesan press releases explicitly denounced Rohr, accusing him of conducting a malicious campaign of lies and "publicly lynching" the Archbishop. In October 2013, a senior Vatican official dispatched a letter to Rohr directing him to cease his public criticisms of Archbishop Apuron.*

*The letter was from Cardinal Edwin O'Brien, then the Grand Master of the Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. The documents are at this LINK.

Despite these directives, lay resistance expanded into sustained civic action. Coalitions such as the Concerned Catholics of Guam (CCOG) and the Laity Forward Movement organized 54 consecutive weeks of peaceful protests outside the Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña, demanding public financial audits, the restoration of ousted priests, and Vatican intervention. In early 2015, a Vatican Apostolic Delegation arrived on Guam to investigate the mounting governance disputes. Although Chancery officials initially omitted Rohr from the official itinerary, the Vatican delegates personally summoned him to a private hearing, where Rohr presented documentation detailing financial irregularities, administrative intimidation, and the marginalization of diocesan clergy.

## Uncovering Systemic Abuse: The Campaign Against Archbishop Apuron

The institutional struggle underwent a profound transformation in mid-2016 when Rohr, collaborating with former archdiocesan finance council member Richard Untalan, shifted focus from governance and property disputes to historical allegations of clerical sexual abuse. Recognizing that financial disputes alone had not compelled the Vatican to remove Apuron, Rohr organized a systematic strategy to persuade former altar boys from the 1970s to come forward publicly with their accounts.*

*It wasn't just me, but I was the face of it.

In May 2016, Roy Quintanilla became the first victim to publicly disclose that he had been sexually abused as a twelve-year-old altar boy by Anthony Apuron during Apuron's tenure as a parish priest in Agat. Quintanilla's public revelation encouraged other survivors to step forward, including Roland Sondia, Walter Denton, and Leo Concepcion.* Denton disclosed that he had been repeatedly raped by Apuron at age twelve, while Sondia detailed severe sexual molestation within the parish rectory. The disclosures quickly broadened beyond Apuron to encompass systemic abuse across the archdiocese, implicating at least sixteen priests, including Father Louis Brouillard, who confessed to abusing up to twenty boys while continuing to receive archdiocesan financial support.

*Correction: Leo Tudela and Doris Concepcion

The public emergence of these allegations produced immediate legal, political, and canonical consequences across the territory:

 * In response to public outrage catalyzed by survivor testimonies, the 33rd Guam Legislature passed public legislation in late 2016 lifting the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims, opening a retroactivity window for historical cases.

 * Over 160 civil lawsuits were filed in local and federal courts against the Archdiocese of Agana, individual clergy members, and associated entities such as the Boy Scouts of America. The volume of claims gave Guam a per-capita abuse litigation rate more than five times higher than that of the Archdiocese of Boston.

*By 2019, when the archdiocese declared bankruptcy, there were over 300 civil lawsuits and the litigation rate was 14 times the size of Boston's. 

 * The pervasive socio-religious influence of the Church on Guam compelled every sitting judge on the Superior Court of Guam to recuse themselves from presiding over the civil claims.

 * Archbishop Apuron fled Guam shortly after the allegations were disclosed, maintaining his innocence while taking refuge in mainland locations. The Vatican initiated a formal canonical trial in Rome, presided over by Cardinal Raymond Burke. In 2018, the Holy See announced a guilty verdict, stripping Apuron of his archdiocesan office and banning him from ever returning to Guam.

 * In addition to canonical proceedings, abuse survivors filed a $2 million civil defamation lawsuit against Apuron and the Chancery after church representatives publicly accused the victims of fabricating claims for financial gain.

## Quantitative and Comparative Overview of the Crisis

The following structured comparison illustrates the institutional positions, advocacy actions, and ultimate legal and canonical outcomes that defined the archdiocesan crisis on Guam.

## Broader Socio-Religious and Legal Implications

The systematic exposure of institutional failure on Guam provides profound insights into the mechanics of lay activism, digital communications, and institutional accountability within the contemporary Catholic Church.

A central insight emerging from Rohr’s activism is the efficacy of conservative orthodoxy as a driver of institutional whistleblowing. Historically, public pressure on Catholic ecclesiastical structures has often emerged from progressive reform groups seeking modernizing structural changes. In contrast, Rohr operated from a platform of traditional Catholic orthodoxy, emphasizing canonical adherence, traditional liturgy, and institutional preservation. This ideological posture insulated him from standard ecclesiastical defenses that brand critics as theological dissenters. Rohr articulated his position through the theological principle: "You don't leave Jesus for Judas". By explicitly framing corrupt bishops as modern iterations of Judas while maintaining total fidelity to traditional Catholic doctrine, Rohr provided a coherent rationale for devout parishioners to oppose their local archbishop without feeling they had compromised their religious faith.

The Guam crisis also highlights how digital media platforms can dismantle insular power structures within small island societies. In small, close-knit communities, social ties and deference to religious authorities historically enforced secrecy surrounding institutional wrongdoing. The introduction of an unmoderated, highly accessible digital venue (*JungleWatch*) altered these power dynamics by granting anonymous speech protections to insular populations. This platform enabled victims to realize that their individual trauma was part of a broader pattern of systemic exploitation. The resulting shift in public sentiment occurred rapidly enough to paralyze the Chancery’s public relations apparatus, force the recusal of the entire local judiciary, and compel external canonical intervention from Rome.

Finally, the crisis reshaped the conceptual relationship between civic society and religious authority on Guam. In his post-scandal public addresses to civic and professional organizations, Rohr emphasized that the catastrophic failure of ecclesiastical and legislative institutions demonstrated the necessity of returning primary protective responsibility to the family unit. He argued that decades of institutional deference had led parents to entrust children uncritically to authority figures, creating the environment in which abuse flourished undetected. This structural shift from institutional trust to active lay oversight represents a permanent transformation in Guam’s socio-religious landscape, establishing a precedent of continuous public accountability for religious governance throughout the Pacific region.

## Conclusion

Tim Rohr’s investigative journalism and public advocacy fundamentally altered the governance of the Catholic Church on Guam. What began as an effort to examine land records and protect traditional liturgical practices developed into a comprehensive exposure of institutional corruption and historic sexual abuse. By mobilizing lay resistance through *JungleWatch*, facilitating survivor disclosures, and navigating the complexities of civil and canonical law, Rohr contributed directly to the canonical conviction of an archbishop, sweeping statutory reform, and the reassertion of lay accountability over ecclesiastical institutions.

HOW TO NOT BE AN ARCHBISHOP

Submitted by a concerned Catholic

LINK to video

Our clergy seems to be more politically inclined than what is healthy. 

Blessing facilities is one thing, and after the blessing the clergy should depart…their part is complete. But to stick around to wave and to speak to supporters is a reach too far. 

And to attend political rallies without a mission purpose is flat out wrong. And when an Archbishop does so it looks like the island Church supports that candidate. 

Such is the problem when Archbishop Ryan attends any gathering for Josh/Tina and they use his image in a political campaign. 

FROM ANNA IN POLAND

 Hi Tim,

I have been a member of NCW. I am very concerned about cult behaviours in Catholic Church. In my country, Poland it is not only the risk of cult-like communities from global well-known movements but also we have several "priests" that went suspended and they have a lot of "fans" and followers even if they are not within Catholic Church anymore.

For this reason I created the page (in Polish language only) https://neonyszeptem.pl/

There I collect valuable podcast, articles and books that help to distinguish between healthy faith and religion and neurotic religiosity or abuse, as well as about movements - the critical ones and the ones that are very supportive for them.

I also write opionions about books I've read and in some time I plan to write my own book.

Regarding NCW, I read a book by Polish Jesuits that introduced NCW to Poland, and I have learnt about the "Polish path" the NCW founders had to John Paul II thanks to them. ( To remind - John Paul II who was a Pope for quarter of century, and supported all new movements was from Poland, my country)

I have also have an interesting books - that is a compilation of emails from a family on Mission Ad gentes. Some may say it is full of faith and humility, I have consideration whether it is Stockholm syndrom... Are you aware about any publication about a family on NCW ad gentes mission?

JUNE 2026 VIEWS: 1.2 MILLION

 

HOW THE NCW EXERTS HARMFUL AUTHORITARIAN CONTROL

Chuck White's presentation on the cult-like nature of the NCW.  Using Steven Hassan's models of authoritarian groups, Chuck demonstrates how 13 elements from the first four stages of the Way are leveraged to exert harmful authoritarian control.  https://youtu.be/UirqWotxFcM

THE TRUTH ABOUT BERNARDIN AND ‘AGNES’ - THE TRUTH ABOUT CLERICAL ABUSE TAG TEAMS

By Gene Thomas Gomulka

"The 'bottom line' is that the Catholic Church does not need a Synod and should not be excommunicating tradition-loving clergy and laity who reject the appointment and promotion of closeted, pro-LGBTQ prelates like Freiburg Bishop Christian Würtz and so many others. What the Church really needs is a truly Catholic pope and straight, chaste, faithful Catholic clergy."

FULL ARTICLE

MORE SEX SCANDALS AND COVER-UPS

By Gene Thomas Gomulka

Gene Thomas Gomulka is a retired (O6) Navy Captain/Chaplain, author, investigative reporter, and screenwriter. He also works pro bono as an investigator and sex abuse victims’ advocate for those who were abused by Catholic bishops or priests. 

+++++

Shortly after Buffalo WKBW 7 News I-Team Chief Investigator, Charlie Specht, and his colleague, Jeff Wick, reported Father Jeffrey Nowak in 2019 for sexually harassing a seminarian, I published “Addressing the Present-Day Culture of Sexual Predation and Cover-Ups in U.S. Seminaries.” Copies of this report, which made mention of Nowak’s behavior and Bishop Richard Malone’s cover-up, were sent to every U.S. Bishop, seminary rector, vocation director, safe environment coordinator, as well as Knights of Columbus (KOC) leadership and KOC Councils throughout the United States. Although Nowak was removed from ministry, he was never laicized, but continued to be paid, fed, and comfortably housed by the Buffalo Diocese until Wednesday, 8 July 2026, when FBI agents raided his residence while he was in the act of masturbating while watching child pornography. (CONTINUED)

APURON: "PRAY ABOUT IT - YOU'LL GET OVER IT"

By Tim Rohr

On November 16, 2017, the Guam Daily Post reported the death of Fr. Raymond Cepeda, a priest of the Archdiocese of Agana who was removed from the priesthood in 2009 due to what the news report termed “serious allegations of abuse,” abuse which allegedly had occurred over the course of at least two decades, the 1980’s and 1990’s. 

In the same news story, it was reported that Apuron’s attorney, Jacquiline Taitano-Terlaje, reported Cepeda’s death “during a hearing for sex abuse cases involving her client, suspended Archbishop Anthony Apuron…at the District Court of Guam.” 

In reading this, I thought it odd that Terlaje, during a hearing for her client, Apuron, would report Cepeda’s death to the court. Terlaje did not represent Cepeda, and smart attorneys are usually very careful not to provide information irrelevant to the case at hand. And since Terlaje is generally considered a smart attorney, we have to assume that Cepeda’s death was relevant to Apuron’s case. But how?

We can only guess, but since, as the record would show for the next ten years, one of the main prongs of Terlaje’s defense of Apuron was his health and his age, it is quite possible that Terlaje used the announcement of Cepeda's death to provoke sympathy from the court in order to have the lawsuits against Apuron dismissed, a motion that the court was then considering:

“The chief judge is also taking a motion to dismiss the lawsuits against Apuron under advisement.”

However, if Terlaje’s intention was to evoke sympathy for Apuron, the same news story functionally argued against it:

“Cepeda has been named in more than 10 cases of child sexual abuse from the 1980s and ’90s. One accuser claimed he endured eight years of sexual abuse by Cepeda and reported it to Apuron, who reportedly told him during a meeting to “pray about these types of evil in the world.” Court documents also allege Apuron told the boy he would “get over it, if he prayed about it.”

Recently, Lester Gonzales shared his story of clergy sexual abuse in a Substack post. Lester wrote that he reported the abuse to church officials, and the answer he received was a question: "What do you want to do about it?" Lester rightly wondered why "the church" was asking this question when the real question was "What are YOU (the archbishop, etc.) going to do about it?

Of course, the archbishop, Apuron, the Vicar-General, David C. Quitugua, et. al were not going to do anything about it. To do something about it would have opened the can of worms that Apuron et. al were desperately trying to keep a lid on for decades, a can that would eventually be forced open in 2016 by a band of lay people who were finally sickened by "these types of evil" that Apuron had told that poor boy mentioned in the Post story above. 

The "types of evil" that Apuron et. al, for decades, simply shrugged off are cruelly illustrated in the account of Cepeda's alleged rape of 9-year-old Timothy Shiroma as reported in the Guam Daily Post  on March 16, 2017:

A former Catholic school student is the latest victim to come forward and file a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Agana alleging sexual abuse at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña. All of the 28 lawsuits filed thus far alleged incidents of abuse at parishes around the island in the 1960s and 1970s.

The new case filed by Timothy Ryan Shiroma, 37, alleges sexual abuse that occurred in the late '80s.

According to court documents, in 1988 Shiroma was attending Cathedral Grade School, next to the Hagåtña cathedral. After school, Shiroma would pass the time playing football with other kids near the cathedral until his grandfather picked him up, or he walked over to his office nearby.

On one occasion, Shiroma stopped by a nearby hotdog stand before heading to his grandfather’s office. When he noticed his grandfather’s car wasn’t in the office parking lot, Shiroma returned to the cathedral, looking for him there.

While near the garage of the cathedral, Shiroma encountered Father Raymond Cepeda, who was a priest at the cathedral. Cepeda was scolding other kids for leaving trash and reminding them to clean up after themselves because the area was “God’s house,” court documents state.

Shiroma asked Cepeda to use the phone to call his grandfather and was told he could only do so after he helped collect the trash. After picking up trash, Cepeda took Shiroma to use the phone in an office of the cathedral, but he was unable to get a hold of his grandfather.

The lawsuit alleges that when Shiroma got off the phone, the priest threw him to the floor and pinned him to the ground belly down.

The 9-year-old began to cry, and Cepeda unzipped his backpack and shoved Shiroma’s head inside, then took off the boy’s pants and sexually assaulted him, the lawsuit states.

Shiroma struggled to fight Cepeda, but the priest had all his weight on him, court documents state.

The incident left Shiroma scarred and afraid to see Cepeda or be anywhere near him, the lawsuit states. Shiroma rode the bus home and feigned sickness when the school had Mass at the cathedral.

This was the kind of stuff that Apuron not only did himself (see Walter Denton's testimony) but also, for decades, oversaw, enabled, and, by his "shut up and pray" advice, promoted.

This is the real reason why Apuron never really wanted his "day in court." Even if he could have discredited his public accusers - and he well could have at the outset - there were hundreds of stories like Lester's and Timothy Shiroma's waiting in the wings. Apuron and his attorney could not risk a "day in court," and if I were Apuron's attorney, I would tell him to shut up and stay away, rather than trot him out to proclaim his innocence at every opportunity. 

 

ANGRY, CONFUSED, AND LOST - HE OR SHE IS NOT ALONE

AnonymousJan 4, 2026, 6:56:00 PM

I joined the Neocatechumenal Way believing it was an initiation to Christianity, as they put it. I'm a migrant, I had to learn English and all. I was baptised catholic but never really practised with my family or after marriage.
Their way of teaching inculcate to the members that the community reflects the old way, the first Christians, and so practising like them with unleavened bread,drinking wine on the table of Jesus's last meal. Ignoring two thousands years of history within the Catholic Church with her twenty plu councils and written doctrine, including the ones from the doctors of the Church.
When I left the cult I was angry, confused and lost.
I fund my home in the Gregorian Chants, the incense, the Traditional Latin Mass, the ancient mass of old.I got back home.
The NO was too similar to the ncw community.
My home is the latin mass. One only in my city. I hope it will continue to exist.

PROSECUTE THE PARENTS, TOO!

By Tim Rohr

Over the years, I have been asked to speak publicly about what became the largest clergy sex abuse scandal per capita in the entire Catholic world.  

The scandal in Guam, at least by 2019, was, per capita, 14 times the size of the Boston scandal that provided the story for the Academy Award-winning movie, "Spotlight." 14 TIMES!

The question I posed to my audiences was always "how could this happen in an island community that was so Catholic and boasted of its tightly knit family culture?" 

I don't recall anyone in any audience ever venturing to answer, so I always answered for them. And my answer was always the same: "because this island community is so Catholic and boasts of its tightly knit family culture."

I've laid this out in other posts, so I'll keep the explanation brief to get to my main story. In short, the Catholic culture in Guam traditionally holds an inordinate "respect" for the clerical offices. I've often heard that you must not say anything bad about the priest, even if it's true, or something bad will happen to you or your family. 

This unhealthy, even superstitious "respect" for the bishop and the priest was an open door for clerics to use and abuse hundreds of children, and, as the record now shows, so they did - not all, but many, and for decades. 

Many times, as I increasingly became the local face of the opposition to Guam's clerical abuse scandal, many would quietly tell me of their abuse at the hands of a cleric. And just as quietly, they would tell me how their parent or grandparent would slap their face for speaking of it.

Recently, my friend, Lester Gonzales, who grew up in Guam, wrote about the abuse that he suffered both at the hands of his pastor and his parents:

After being serially sexually molested as a teen by his pastor, Lester went to his parents for help:

I didn’t tell anyone at first. I didn’t have the words. I didn’t know if anyone would believe me. Eventually I found the courage to tell my parents. My father told me not to tell anyone, for fear of his embarrassment and that people would talk. My mother quietly suggested I leave. Just quit and walk away. So I did.

And then one day my father said it. “You should forgive and forget.” I stormed out of the house and drove away. That was the moment I understood something clearly, I was completely alone in this. My father allowed it to happen. 

Lester's story is the constant story I've been hearing for years from so many, and it has caused me to be even angrier at these victims' parents than at the pastors who molested, raped, and otherwise mutilated the minds, bodies, and souls of so many innocent young people.

As horrible as clerical sex abuse of our young is, it was not only allowed to happen but even encouraged by parents who would rather curry the favor of the powerful than protect their own children.

Today's Pacific Daily News tells an all-too-familiar story about another family who preferred their minor daughter remain a sex slave than lose the favor of a police officer. The story is copied here in part (emphases added):

A Guam Police Department sergeant was taken into federal custody Monday and faces charges of sex trafficking a minor, following an FBI investigation that alleges he knowingly recruited, harbored, transported and solicited a girl under the age of 18 for commercial sex acts from Jan. 1, 2024, through July 31, 2025.

According to a federal affidavit filed Monday, the girl reported to GPD officers on July 26, 2025, that she was sexually assaulted by Santos.

Police and FBI documents state the girl told authorities the abuse began around February 2017, when she was about 7 or 8.

The girl told police on July 29, 2025, that she wanted to withdraw her complaint and said she fabricated the allegation out of anger and for attention. A similar complaint and recantation occurred in January 2025.

The girl told a relative that another family member instructed her to recant, warning that Santos would stop helping the family financially if prosecuted. The girl maintained that the assault occurred, but changed her story under pressure.

Pressure from whom? Her family, just like so many victims who told me their stories of clergy sex abuse. This is the so-called "tight-knit family" at work: apparently, it is better to let your child be raped, abused, and molested than to bring shame or disfavor from the powerful upon your family. 

The police officer, the abuser in this case, should be prosecuted and punished accordingly, but so should the girl's family members who enabled the abuse and even told the girl to lie (recant) to protect whatever favors they were receiving from the police officer. 

Maybe...maybe, someday, Guam's parents will stop sucking up to the powerful at the expense of their own children.