WEIRD, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR "A COMMUNITY OF PERSONS"

By Tim Rohr

Maybe this is nothing. Maybe. However, the memories of days not so long ago, when weird stuff was coming out of the chancery, have taught me to treat weird stuff from the chancery with immediate suspicion. And this transfer is weird.

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1. Archbishop Jimenez references Canon 1748 as the basis for his authority to order this transfer. Canon 1748 states the following:

Can. 1748 If the good of souls or the necessity or advantage of the Church demands that a pastor be transferred from a parish which he is governing usefully to another parish or another office, the bishop is to propose the transfer to him in writing and persuade him to consent to it out of love of God and souls.

Fr. Gofigan is not a pastor. He is a parochial administrator:

https://aganaarch.org/clergydirectory

Thus, no such canonical process is required. If you read on beyond Can. 1748, you will see that the canon is just the beginning of a process that leads to increasing complexity. Why reference this canon when no such process is required? 

A parochial administrator is just that, an administrator. An administrator can be appointed, transferred, or removed at the bishop's discretion. This was the point of appointing only administrators, rather than pastors, in the first place - so Jimenez could move them around at will. 

If you search the above-referenced clergy directory, you will see that there are only four pastors, all of whom are Capuchins, not diocesan priests. I don't know the canonical relationship between the Capuchins and the archbishop, but Capuchins don't take a vow of obedience to the bishop of a diocese. Interesting that Jimenez left them as pastors. 

2. The letter is dated April 19, 2016, and is stated as follows: "Given this 19th day of April, 2026..." Today is April 15, 2026, and the letter was posted to the AOA Facebook page on April 12:

Perhaps Jimenez meant that the appointment would take effect on April 19. But then the letter should have had language to that effect, and it doesn't. 

3. Moreover, Archbishop Jimenez is off-island and has been for several days. Why couldn't this transfer business wait till he got back? Why the rush?

Weird.

The appointment of Deacon Len Stohr LINK

There has also been a question about a deacon being appointed as a parochial administrator. Per Canon 517.2, this is permitted:

Canon 517 §2. If, because of a lack of priests, the diocesan bishop has decided that participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish is to be entrusted to a deacon, to another person who is not a priest, or to a community of persons, he is to appoint some priest who, provided with the powers and faculties of a pastor, is to direct the pastoral care.

However, notice that the canon is based on "a lack of priests." Why does Guam have "a lack of priests"?

We paid millions (meellions and meellions - for those who remember) to ordain 17 priests out of RMS. Where are they? Some, like Krzysztof Szafarski and Edivaldo Oliveira, are gone but are still on our payroll. Others, like John Wadeson, never actually worked in Guam or worked very little, yet are receiving retirement benefits off the back of a bankrupt archdiocese. 

That said, I am not opposed to the consolidation of parishes or the assigning of priests to serve multiple parishes. That's being done everywhere these days. Given the two options, though, I think the latter is better. One thing is clear: in Guam, parishioners are very attached to their parishes and willing to financially and physically support them.

Canon 571 §2 also permits a parish to be entrusted "to a community of persons." That may be the best way to go for Guam. Parishioners need to organize, take control, and assume responsibility for the temporal and operational aspects of their parishes. Priests and Deacons don't need to be administrators. They need to be priests and deacons. 

And, given this trend of shuffling clergy around, parishioners will be better for it. 

NOTE TO JIMENEZ: WHY THE CAMACHO MATTER MATTERS

By Tim Rohr

The Luis Camacho affair matters, and here's why. Up until Apuron and his Neocat cronies smuggled Camacho out of Guam almost immediately after his arrest on March 17, 2015, there really wasn't an identifiable offense that reached beyond the boundaries of internal church problems. There was no reason for the broader community to care.

The Gofigan thing, the Benavente thing, even the Wadeson thing, as far as the rest of the community, especially the media, was concerned, was really just infighting, internal church squabbles. The media would make it news from time to time, but usually only upon being prompted by a church media release. 

It would be another year (2016) before "Roy, Walter, and Roland" came forward. And while John Toves had made his accusations in late 2014, he was not a victim himself and offered no names of those he said were victims. Also, the CERTIFICATE OF TITLE FIASCO over the RMS property hadn't come out into the open yet either. 

So, there wasn't much news for the larger community. Up until March 17, 2015, everything was pretty much an internal spat, much of it sparked by the Neocats, but outsiders couldn't understand who or what the Neocats were. And pretty much, they still can't. 

But Camacho was arrested. Regardless of what he was caught doing, the arrest of a Catholic priest was news. You have to hand it to the Neocats, though. No one else could have gotten the real reason Camacho was arrested buried as fast as they did. 

And, while we now know what Luis was really arrested for - pursuant to the Vatican verdict - which is what we knew all along, we have always known when and where he was arrested, and who arrested him:

So, even if the reason was "Custodial Interference," what was Camacho doing, alone in a car with a female minor, at APAKA POINT, Agat, on 3/17/2015 at 12:44pm? He certainly wasn't giving the girl a ride home from school. 

By the way, having lived in Agat for decades, I know APAKA POINT well. It's perfectly situated for such a rendezvous, a public park, yet hidden behind a swampy, overgrown triangle of land between the back gate to the Naval Base and the entrance into Agat. It's rarely frequented, especially on a Tuesday, and especially at this time of day. Perfect, or so he thought. 

Had Apuron not been a Neocat puppet and had he not had access to the worldwide Neocat underground, which was expert at trafficking in priests in trouble, as Camacho was now, Apuron might have been forced to do the right thing and let the chips fall where they should: Camacho had done something very wrong; it would have become known; and he would have had to pay the civil penalty. 

But Apuron DID have access to that Neocat underground, so he had options. So, under the cover of night, off Camacho went. 

And this was the turning point.

Apuron's clandestine cover of Camacho opened the door for the media and for the larger Guam community to care. This was no longer an internal spat between priests, bishops, and pro- and anti-Neo groups. This was Exhibit A of what bishops across the U.S. had been accused of doing for decades: shuffling around problem priests - a scandalous practice that had already brought down several dioceses through lawsuits and bankruptcy. 

Camacho's arrest, Apuron's shuffling him off, and all the lies that followed would lead directly to what became the outing of the largest clergy sex abuse scandal per capita in the Catholic world and the eventual bankruptcy of this archdiocese. 

And it all really started on March 17, 2015, coincidentally the feast of St. Patrick, the adopted patron of Guam's Redemptoris Mater Seminary. St. Patrick may have driven all the snakes out of Ireland, but apparently, they found their way to Guam.

So, in case the new archbishop is wondering what all the fuss is about over Camacho's showing up on the altar at a recent Neocat Easter Vigil, this is why. 

KIKO AND McCARRICK: BUDDIES

 By Tim Rohr

The first RMS (in the U.S.) was established under McCarrick. It's also where he ran to once his filthy life was outed. 

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2025/04/04/a-timeline-of-abuse-allegations-against-deceased-former-cardinal-theodore-mccarrick/

March 2006: McCarrick asks Monsignor Robert Sheeran, president of Seton Hall University, about residing part time in an on-campus residence for priests, close to the seminary. Archbishop Myers tells Sheeran he strongly opposes the move. McCarrick arranges to live part time at the Redemptoris Mater seminary in Hyattsville, Maryland.

December 2007: Sambi meets with McCarrick to discuss his move out of the Redemptoris Mater seminary and the request that he live a quiet life of prayer. An emotional McCarrick tells Sambi that because Priest 1 was 25 at the time of the allegations, what had happened was not a crime, and that his continued pursuit of the allegations seemed to be a grab for money.

January 2007: Sambi reports his meeting with McCarrick to Re and adds that he looked into whether the leaders of Redemptoris Mater seminary considered McCarrick an active threat. Seminary leaders say McCarrick was “touchy” but they did not consider him to be a threat.

2007-2008: McCarrick maintains residence at Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Hyattsville, Maryland, during this time, where he lives in his own wing.

Early 2009: McCarrick moves to St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Washington, D.C., as arranged by Wuerl. According to the report, McCarrick still maintains an office at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary “and travels there frequently for work.”

July 14, 2014: After a brief conversation with Parolin, Ouellet writes a letter to the Secretary of State about the restrictions given against McCarrick, including that he move out of Redemptoris Mater seminary and that he live a private life of prayer and not accept invitations in the U.S. or abroad.

MORE NOTES FOR LUCIO

Deacon Steve Martinez responds to Lucio.  (The hyperlinks have been added)

Tim,

Your post (NOTES FOR LUCIO) is very well laid out. But there is also a key letter from the Archdiocese that you failed to cite, the press release dated 05/07/2024. I am familiar with the circumstances to a limited degree. But I worry that in an effort to support his beloved bishop, Lucio just might try to say that there was a previous ruling, but the case was only forced to be reopened at the insistence of Fr Luis’ accuser (me), or by those who are trying to persecute the NCW. Believe me when I say, I have heard this from some people on Guam, more than I expected.

Most people probably don’t know I am related to Fr Luis. I was very proud to participate in his ordination mass, and I fully supported his ministry for Guam. He was the first Chamorro priest ordained from the Guam seminary. That’s why, on March 17, 2015, when I was made aware of Fr Luis’ arrest and the circumstances that were relayed to me, I faced a huge decision. Do I ignore the information given to me? Or do I take my legal requirement to report what I was told, and file a report with CPS and the Archdiocese? I’d like to say it was a tough decision, but it really wasn’t. Since, by law, I am a mandated reporter, it was a law that had to be followed. So I filed my report before 8am the next day. The hard part was living with the consequences, because that part of my family now refuses to speak with me and my wife. I was really hoping that an investigation would exonerate him, but my job was not to judge or investigate. My only job was to file a report and participate in the investigation if asked.

So, Lucio, save your time. And for all those who thought I was fabricating stories to get to Fr Luis, or make the NCW look bad, that just is not true.

Now to add one more bit of proof that Bishop Ballin’s letter was not just misleading, but completely false, I also refer you to a press release from the Chancery Office in Guam dated May 7, 2024, at the time when Fr Luis reappeared after a nine-year absence.

The fourth paragraph from the Chancery states:

“Rome opened a canonical investigation on Father Luis following the incident in 2015. Though the Vatican has not been able to make a canonical ruling due to insufficient evidence, the case is not closed. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith informed then Archbishop Michael Byrnes on Nov. 18, 2022 that the case is filed in the archives at this time as it is not possible to proceed with any canonical action.”

The truth is Rome did initiate an investigation on a timely basis. The charges were indeed very serious. But Rome was never able to reach a conclusion because the main witness (the accused) fled Guam, and the government agencies absolutely refused to provide a copy of the arrest report to the Church.”

So, the June 25, 2016, statement by Bishop Ballin is a proven bold but false statement. Recall what he said in that notice on his letterhead with his official seal attached:

“The subsequent deep and thorough investigation has reached the absolute certainty that “there is not a semblance of truth (fumus veri facti) to the accusation” made against Fr. Luis.”

The actual truth is the investigation languished for lack of evidence. Thank goodness the Vatican archived the information it had just in case the investigation should ever be renewed. And then in 2024/2025 that’s exactly what happened. And a finding of fact was finally reached; an independent penal process in Australia was concluded; and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith fielded an appeal by Fr Luis, and then reconfirmed the original finding of fact and the penalty.

So Lucio, do you still place credence in Bishop Ballin’s letter of 06/25/2016? I do not wish to cast aspersions on anyone, especially those who have died, but I feel compelled to make sure the truth is heard, and not bent or manipulated.

Deacon Steve Martinez

NOTES FOR LUCIO

By Tim Rohr

Our friend, who fantasizes that he is our "nightmare," Lucio from Italy (but not really), is back. In a comment on BREAK FREE, LUIS. IT'S TIME, Lucky Lucio goes on about what a wonderful chap Bishop Camillo Ballin was and how he was so well-respected in the Vatican, etc., etc., etc. 

Ballin, as you will recall, is the bishop who verbally slapped Chuck White for asking what Luis Camacho was doing in his diocese when Luis was an incardinated priest in Guam. Ballin snapped back: "He is now my priest." 

You can see what Lucio has to say about it here and my reply here, if you care to. However, since Lucio wants to talk tough about Ballin, I thought now would be a good time to reshare Ballin's official announcement, dated June 25, 2016, to the whole Vicarate of Northern Arabia, for which Ballin was the Vicar, that Luis was absolutely innocent and a victim of our "lies and calumnies." 

You can read the full letter here. The following is the relevant part:

...I was saddened receiving information that lately some individuals have spread, both in writing and by word of mouth, lies and calumnies about one of our priests who has served in our Church. In fact, some accusations against Fr. Luis Camacho have been divulged among our people. Because of this, in order to clarify the lack of any foundations for such rumors and accusations, even the Holy See has been forced to start an inquiry. 

The subsequent deep and thorough investigation has reached the absolute certainty that “there is not a semblance of truth (fumus veri facti) to the accusation” made against Fr. Luis. 

Contrast Ballin's June 25, 2016 letter with the letter from Luis' real bishop, Archbishop Ryan Jimenez, dated Dec. 11, 2025:

The Archdiocese of Agana has received official notification that on September 19, 2025, the Congresso of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith completed its review of the case involving Rev. Luis Venancio B. Camacho, who was ordained a priest for our Archdiocese on November 9, 2013. The Congresso confirmed that Mr. Camacho was found guilty of delicta graviora cum minore - grave offenses involving a person under the age of eighteen- and it upheld the penalty previously imposed: dismissal from the clerical state. 

The Dicastery’s review included the 2015 arrest of then-Fr. Camacho, the canonical investigation that followed, and a subsequent petition for recourse that he himself submitted in an effort to have the penalties removed and to be restored to priestly ministry. 

Following the canonical investigation, a Penal Decree was issued on May 6, 2025, finding Rev. Camacho guilty of delicts contra sextum, meaning violations of the Sixth Commandment (sexual misconduct) committed with a minor, and imposing the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state.

Yet, in 2016, Ballin told us that the Holy See had cleared Camacho with "absolute certainty." Once again, none of this makes any sense unless you know who you're dealing with: THE NEOCATS.

BREAK FREE, LUIS. IT'S TIME

By Tim Rohr

Note: I am telling this story not to pick on Luis Camacho. He doesn't need any more grief. No, I am telling this story because the world needs to see how the Neocat Ideology ruins people...many people.

+++++

The (still) Rev. Fr. Luis Camacho, as most readers of this blog know, was arrested in March 2015 after being found alone with a female minor in a car at a beach in Agat. Note: I parenthetically say "still" because he is appealing his "defrocking" (aka "laicization") by a Vatican tribunal and, for now, remains a priest, albeit without faculties.

Rumor at the time of the arrest was that Camacho had been caught engaging in a sexual act with a female minor; however, so went the rumor, the girl's parents (mysteriously) chose not to pursue charges. Meanwhile, since the police had arrested Camacho and there had to be a reason, the charge, which could have been much more serious, was entered as custodial interference. 

I have stated several times on this blog that if Camacho had just come clean and begged forgiveness, he would not only have remained a priest in good standing (perhaps after a short retreat), but would have been extra loved and admired by the majority of Guam’s Catholics. 

We are all fallen in one way or another, and who among us does not have a list of sins, especially “sins of youth,” that would not only humble us if they were known but may have put some of us in jail?

True, Camacho was no “youth” at the time (I believe he was in his 30’s), and the girl was underage (17 was the rumor), but I still think a simple “I’m sorry” would have gone a long way and might have spared Camacho his years of running and personal agony that not only followed, but continue to this day.

However, at the time, and still now, Camacho was not in control of his destiny. He had handed that over to what I’ll call the Neocat Generals when he joined the Neocatechumenal Way, and especially when he chose (if he chose) to become one of their priests. 

I say "if he chose" because I recall a statement he made, recorded in an interview published in Umatuna, the archdiocesan paper, on the day of his ordination, that hinted that Camacho was not absolutely sure he wanted to be a priest. 

I was not surprised to read that. During his seminary years, I had gotten to know Camacho and the seminary/Neocat environment he moved in quite well.

As the proprietor of a Catholic bookstore for several years, I had many interactions with NCW seminarians when they visited my store. Additionally, for about a year, several NCW seminarians and some of their priest-professors joined me every Wednesday night at the Chamorro Village Night Market, where I set up a table and handed out Catholic literature. Camacho was one of them.

To further my NCW "credentials," I also owned a company that sold commercial kitchen-cleaning supplies and installed and serviced the machines that dispensed them. RMS, the NCW seminary, was one of my customers. So I was often at the seminary delivering products and servicing the machines. I was good friends with Fr. Ivan then (I believe he was Vice-Rector), and he would always invite me to join them for lunch if I was around about that time, which I often was. 

By the way, in case you are wondering how running a Catholic bookstore and selling kitchen cleaning supplies connect, they don't. In those years, I had several businesses, five at one point, because I had no other way to feed, clothe, educate, and house 11 children. 

And there's something else. Because my other businesses kept me away from my bookstore for many hours a day, I had to hire help, and my principal employee for quite a while was a nice young lady who was so in love with the NCW that I believe she eventually became one of their nuns. 

As an aside, but maybe directly related to the Camacho matter, I sometimes overheard conversations between my NCW employee and other NCW young ladies who hung around my store, conversations that were a little disturbing for an old guy like me. There was a bit of a seminary fan girl thing going on, and a frequent debate over which seminarians were the best-looking. Camacho's name usually got "squeals." 

As a "male," I knew that wasn't healthy...for the males, I mean. Girls are gonna do what girls do. And squeals about good-looking guys, seminarians or not, is just what girls do, sometimes anyway. But as a "guy," I knew what those squeals provoked way down deep in those male hormones. 

And because I knew that the NCW environment promoted close-knit communities, wherein members, including seminarians, were often prodded to publicly disclose their deepest, and even sinful thoughts and feelings, I just shook my head at the thought of where that was going to end up.

Camacho was not only young (at the time, around 2005), but also decent-looking and a local, a Chammoro, or CHamoru, as it is now spelled. And Apuron, inundated with NCW clerical prospects at RMS from all over the world, was desperate for at least one local guy to be in line for ordination at a seminary locals (us) were constantly cajoled to pay for.

So, Camacho was the perfect prospect: Chamorro, young, nice looking, and reportedly related to the then-bishop of Saipan, the late Tomas Camacho. The trouble was, Camacho had difficulty getting through even the dumbed-down studies at the local RMS, a challenge which delayed his ordination, a frustration for Apuron. 

The real problem, though, was Apuron. Pursuant to information from a very close insider (to Apuron), the Neocat Generals told Apuron who to ordain. The insider even told me the name of a seminarian that Apuron did not want to ordain because it was clear, even to Apuron, that given his intellectual challenges, the wannabe priest had no business being a priest (he had already flunked out of another seminary), but Apuron "had" to ordain him anyway. 

At the order of his Neocat Masters, Apuron ordained both Camacho and the "wannabe" at the same time. So, basically, two strikes on the same day: Camacho wasn't sure he wanted to be a priest (at least that was what was implied in his published interview), and the other guy had no business being a priest, given his intellectual challenges - at least per my source. 

(Note: As another "by the way," I almost got around to subpoenaing the wannabe priest for trial in a personal matter. I had reason to believe he was part of a conspiracy to destroy my reputation as part of a larger plan to exonerate Apuron. He's lucky the trial in that matter was unexpectedly terminated. But I still have the evidence.)

Well, all the above is not where I expected to go when I set out to write this post, but that's where the Spirit led me. I believe, even now, that all Camacho needs to do is publicly admit what he did, ask forgiveness, and all would be well. But as a Neocat, he can't do that. They call the shots. Not him. 

So, back to the matter at hand. 

Camacho's current problem began not when he was arrested, but when Apuron and the Neocats began the immediate cover-up, which ultimately led to his nine-year exile and the problems he is still having after returning to Guam.

Apparently, on the very night of Camacho's arrest on March 17, 2017, or quite soon after, Camacho was swiftly smuggled off Guam. Within a few days, he surfaced in Saipan, where it was rumored he was residing with his bishop-uncle, Tomas Camacho, and then, once discovered, he disappeared again. 

QATAR

The fact that someone sitting in a church in Doha, Qatar, on the other side of the world, recognized a now-bearded Luis Camacho, snapped a picture, and sent it to me is a testament to this blog's reach. 

But why would someone in Qatar be reading this blog? In fact, check the flag counter in the right sidebar and ask yourself, why does this blog have the worldwide audience that it does, and a massive one at that? 

It sure "ain't" because the whole world cares about Apuron, or Gofigan, or Benavente, or any of the local squabbles. It's because the Neocats are a problem worldwide, just as they were in Doha, Qatar, which is why the anonymous-picture-sender recognized Luis when he showed up at a church in Doha. She had been following JungleWatch for several months because, at the time, this archdiocese was ground zero for the Neocat Wars, and most of it was happening on JungleWatch.

The Camacho-Qatar thing was absolutely funny. The bishop there, a guy named Ballin, "stepped in it" when Chuck White emailed him to ask what Camacho was doing in his diocese. In short, Balin attacked Chuck for even asking and functionally inferred that he had incardinated him in his diocese: "I am now his bishop," wrote Ballin. (Chuck's email to Ballin. Ballin's email to Chuck)

We blew up the Ballin exchange on JungleWatch and had fun with it for several weeks. Chuck had set the trap, and Ballin, a bishop, had not only stepped in it...he had jumped in it. And Ballin wasn't just any bishop; Ballin was the first Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia with the territories of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia under his jurisdiction.

So what in the world was Ballin doing, getting involved in an email squabble with some unknown guy in Guam? The fact that Ballin not only got incensed over Chuck's inquiry but also responded with knee-jerk viciousness was typical of a guy who was lying. And he was. 

Ballin had no authority to incardinate Camacho unless Camacho had first been excardinated from the Archdiocese of Agana, and, of course, he wasn't. In other words, Ballin lied when he wrote to Chuck White saying, "I am now his bishop." 

So a bishop, the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, in writing, LIES to protect this runaway priest from Guam. Makes no sense... unless, of course, it's the Neocatechumenal Way we're talking about. And of course, we are. Like Apuron (and probably Jimenez), Ballin was another bishop beholden to Kiko's Crew, which, of course, is why Luis ended up there. 

Exposing Luis in Qatar exposed another Apuron lie: that Camacho had been sent "off-island to a priestly renewal program." This was funny at the time, because the Neocats, via "The Diana," continued to argue that Luis had done nothing wrong, that there had been no sexual contact with the girl, that it was all a made-up story by that terrible Deacon Steve Martinez, and that the charge of "custodial interference" meant nothing more than dear Fr. Luis had given the girl a ride home from school and had forgotten to tell the girl's parents. (Never mind that he was arrested at an Agat beach and not the parents' driveway.)

Well, if that was the case, then 1) why did Luis immediately resign as pastor of the two parishes he was pastoring; 2) why was he surreptitiously rushed off-island; and 3) why would giving a girl a ride home from school warrant his having to be sent away to a priestly-renewal program? 

But then, once again, we are dealing with the Neocats here. So lying, deflecting, denying, and ultimately inventing an alternate reality, just as they have invented an alternate "Catholic Church," is in their genes. It's just what they do...and do, and do, and do.

BACK TO GUAM

Amazingly, nine years later, when Luis returned to Guam, apparently seeking restoration, Fr. Romeo Convocar, then the Apostolic Administrator for this archdiocese, intentionally or not, repeated the same lie: "Former Archbishop Anthony Apuron sent the priest off-island to a priestly renewal program after the incident in 2015." (Archdiocese of Agaña statement regarding Father Luis Camacho, May 7, 2024)

Even more amazing, not only was Camacho never sent to a priestly renewal program (which is the norm for priests who are having problems, usually sexual), but Camacho surfaced in Doha, Qatar, as a youth minister: "Priest Accused of Sexual Contact With Minor to Host Retreat for Youth This Month," (J. Carrera. Pacific News Center, April 12, 2016)

The real story here, once again, is the Neocatechumenal Way and the extent of the problem it poses worldwide. We didn't have spies in Doha. We didn't even know he was in Doha. We didn't even know where he was...at all! But because the Neocats, with their abrasiveness, aggressiveness, and narcissistic sense of superiority,  create enemies wherever they go, there were plenty of enemies in Doha who joined the crusade on JungleWatch to expose the crooked Neocat leadership, which was clearly acting as a clandestine underground railroad for priests on the run.

In his May 7, 2024, statement on Camacho, Convocar said something else worth noting:

"Rome opened a canonical investigation on Father Luis following the incident in 2015. Though the Vatican has not been able to make a canonical ruling due to insufficient evidence, the case is not closed. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith informed then Archbishop Michael Byrnes on Nov. 18, 2022 that the case is filed in the archives at this time as it is not possible to proceed with any canonical action."

Compare the foregoing with "A Pastoral Update to the Faithful Regarding the Case of Luis Camacho," from Archbishop Jimenez, Dec. 11, 2025:

The Archdiocese of Agana has received official notification that on September 19, 2025, the Congresso of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith completed its review of the case involving Rev. Luis Venancio B. Camacho, who was ordained a priest for our Archdiocese on November 9, 2013. The Congresso confirmed that Mr. Camacho was found guilty of delicta graviora cum minore - grave offenses involving a person under the age of eighteen- and it upheld the penalty previously imposed: dismissal from the clerical state. 

The Dicastery’s review included the 2015 arrest of then-Fr. Camacho, the canonical investigation that followed, and a subsequent petition for recourse that he himself submitted in an effort to have the penalties removed and to be restored to priestly ministry. 

Following the canonical investigation, a Penal Decree was issued on May 6, 2025, finding Rev. Camacho guilty of delicts contra sextum, meaning violations of the Sixth Commandment (sexual misconduct) committed with a minor, and imposing the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state.

So, per the May 7, 2024, letter, in 2022, Archbishop Byrnes was informed by the Vatican that "due to insufficient evidence," it was "not possible to proceed with any canonical action." But almost to the day, one year later, May 6, 2025, the Vatican found Camacho "guilty of delicts contra sextum, and imposed "the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state."

WHAT HAPPENED?

So what happened? Apparently, sufficient evidence was provided, enabling the Vatican to proceed with canonical action. Who provided the evidence? 

Jimenez's update dated Dec. 11, 2025, notes that "he himself" (Camacho) petitioned the Vatican for recourse "in an effort to have the penalties removed and to be restored to priestly ministry. Apparently, Camacho had not done this before. But when he did, he opened the door for the Vatican to investigate, including calling witnesses. 

I can't prove this, and the Vatican will never publish its findings, but given that there was only one witness, the girl, it appears that the Vatican questioned the girl, and the girl told the truth. Now, it is also possible that the Vatican may have questioned the police. Obviously, they were witnesses. But even if they did, it appears that it was the girl's testimony that did Camacho in because the Vatican verdict was: delicta graviora cum minore - grave offenses with a minor. Delicta, the plural of delictum. Thus, grave "offenses," plural. 

The police would not have known if there were other offenses. Only the girl would have known that. And the plural finding also comports with the rumors (now proven true) that Camacho and the girl had been going at it for a while. 

So, if Camacho had petitioned the Vatican to investigate his case to be restored to priestly ministry, it appears he was very sure things would go well. They obviously did not. So what went wrong? 

Certainly, Camacho had the assurances of his Neocat handlers, probably Kiko's people in the Vatican, high-up folks. This would be typical Neocat operations. They know how to do this sort of thing. Since there were no other witnesses besides the police, the only weak link was the girl. 

The girl was said to be in the NCW, in fact, the same community as Camacho. The Neocat catechists and responsibles have a tight hold over their community members, so there were probably assurances from them that the girl wouldn't be a problem. 

Maybe she was. Maybe she wasn't. I don't know. But what we do know is that somebody talked. Somebody told the real story, and it wasn't the story that Apuron, Ballin, The Diana, or hordes of Neocat defenders have been telling us for more than ten years now, and mocking and spitting at those of us who always knew otherwise. 

If it was the girl who told the truth, then God bless her. Now, it's time for Luis to tell the truth. The Catholics of Guam, the real ones, are waiting to welcome you back, Luis, but not if you persist in the lies your Neocat Masters have forced you to tell. Break free from them. It's time. 

By Tim Rohr

We really are a laughingstock. The people running this church just posted this:

Meanwhile, the archbishop is permitting a canonically convicted sex offender to occupy a prominent place on a Catholic altar during the holiest Mass of the year. 

If he didn't permit this, then he needs to let us know.

NOW

 

LUIS IN THE NEWS

Archdiocese Statement Regarding Father Luis Camacho (Archdiocese of Agana, May 7, 2024) LINK

Archdiocese: Fr. Luis Camacho returns to Guam 9 years after canonical investigation over alleged sexual act with minor, still banned from priestly functions (Haidee Eugenio Gilbert, Pacific Daily News, May 7, 2024) LINK

Priest arrested in 2015 returns to Guam (John O'Connor, The Guam Daily Post, May 7, 2024) LINK

Priest arrested in 2015 returns to Guam (Bishop-Accountability.org, May 2024) LINK

Guam priest banned in church premises (Pacific Island Times, Admin., May 7, 2024) LINK

A Pastoral Update to the Faithful Regarding the Case of Luis Camacho (Most Rev. Ryan P. Jimenez, D.D., Metropolitan Archbishop of Agana, Dec. 11, 2025) [LINK]

Some canonical clarifications concerning the case of Rev. Luis Camacho (Most Rev. Ryan P. Jimenez, D.D., Metropolitan Archbishop of Agana, Dec. 15, 2025) [LINK]

Archbishop: Fr. Luis Camacho to appeal ruling that would strip him of priest status (Joe Taitano II, Pacific Daily News, Dec. 17, 2025) LINK

RECENT JUNGLEWATCH POSTS

Thursday, December 18, 2025, VATICAN: SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WITH A MINOR

Wednesday, December 17, 2025, THE BACKSTORY TO THE LUIS CAMACHO MESS

Monday, December 15, 2025, DIANA: "NO BIGGIE" - NINE YEARS LATER

Sunday, December 14, 2025, FR. LUIS: SCAPEGOAT

Sunday, December 14, 2025, MORE ON THE "SAGA OF LUIS CAMACHO"

Sunday, December 12, 2025, THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF THE "SAGA OF LUIS CAMACHO"

Friday, August 29, 2025, THEY RAN

Sunday, July 6, 2025, IT APPEARS O'MALLEY DID NOTHING

Saturday, November 16, 2024, NOTES FOR NINO

Saturday, September 21, 2024, WHERE ARE THESE PRIESTS AND WHY ARE WE PAYING THEM?

Wednesday, May 8, 2024, LUIS CAMACHO RETURNS - BUT THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM

LUIS CAMACHO FILE BOX [LINK] 

DELICTA GRAVIORA CUM MINORE

By Tim Rohr

The Neocats argue that their statutes permit a separate celebration of the Easter Vigil for their communities, which, as shown in the picture, was celebrated at the Asan church this past Easter.  

Actually, I support their desire to celebrate separately. If the Neocats have shown us anything in their thirty-plus years in Guam, it's that they are separate from the rest of the Catholic Church in every way. So why not let them celebrate separetly? In fact, why not let them separate altogether?

As Bishop Athanasius Schneider said, the NCW is a "Trojan horse in the Church."

Mr. Fülep: ...there are some new modern movements which are highly supported. One of them is the community of Kiko. What is your opinion about the Neocatechumenal Way?

His Excellency Bishop Schneider: This is a very complex and sad phenomenon. To speak openly: It is a Trojan horse in the Church. I know them very well because I was an episcopal delegate for them for several years in Kazakhstan in Karaganda."

SEE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

The Neocats have their own priests, their own seminaries, their own liturgy, their own catechism; and in Guam, they have their own money, bank accounts, and property - funneled through the corporate facade of Rainan Ilanget Foundation, Inc. 

SEE FULL REPORT HERE

The bottom line, though, is Archbishop Ryan Jimenez. Regardless of what the Neocat Statutes permit or don't permit, one thing is clear: "The Neocatechumenal Way is at the service of the bishop..." (Title 1, Art. 1, § 2. Statutes of the Neocatechumenal Way)

Everything is up to Archbishop Jimenez. If he authorized the Neocats to celebrate their Easter Vigil separately, that's his right. If he didn't, that's his right as well. However, if Jimenez did not authorize this separate Neocat celebration of the Easter Vigil, he then has a duty to sanction, discipline, or warn the actors, especially the ordained ones. 

Moreover, he has a higher duty to inform the rest of us lest by not doing so, Jimenez foments a scandal. And I don't mean the scandal of the NCW doing their own thing, I mean the scandal of an archbishop who is compromised, controlled, and/or intentionally silent on these matters. That's the scandal. And it's a scandal because that's who his predecessor was:

• A bishop who, at the order of the Neocats, publicly persecuted two well-liked and trusted local priests who resisted Neocat takeovers of their parishes.

• A bishop who, at the order of the Neocats, incardinated and shielded a priest credibly accused of sexually molesting minors in another diocese (Wadeson). 

• A bishop who, at the order of the Neocats, smuggled away a priest arrested by police for committing "grave offenses involving a person under the age of eighteen." (Camacho)

• A bishop who, at the order of the Neocats, surreptitiously deeded away a church property with an estimated value of 70 million dollars. 

• A bishop who, at the order of the Neocats, threatened unincardinated priests from the Philippines with deportation if they didn't serve the Neocats.

• A bishop who, at the order of the Neocats, threatened to sue "Tim Rohr and his associates" for daring to speak publicly about all of the above, as well as for supporting men who Apuron had sexually abused, molested, and raped when they were as young as nine years old. 

• A bishop who, at the order of the Neocats, threatened to sue a grieving mother (Doris Concepcion) for sharing what her son (Joseph Quinata) had told her on his deathbed: that Apuon had molested him. (Joseph's brother later testified that Apuron had raped Joseph.)

• A bishop who, at the order of the Neocats, threatened to sue his three initial accusers who came forward and shared their testimonies on an Agana street in 2016.

• A bishop who, at the order of the Neocats, disappeared under the cover of darkness after the first accuser went public, and was spotted in Rome a few days later begging the pope for cover.

• A bishop, who at the order of the Neocats, continued to lie, deny, and threaten, even after he ran away, provoking the public outrage that led to the introduction of legislation, which led to years of litigation and the eventual bankruptcy of this diocese.

• A bishop, who at the order of the Neocats, continues to play the innocent victim even after Pope Francis found him GUILTY after appeal.

• A bishop, who at the order of the Neocats, very recently went public with the biggest lie ever: that because his initial accusers had moved to dismiss their personal cases against him, this was proof that he was innocent, when in fact they dropped their cases because he had no assets to sue for.

So Jimenez needs to decide. And if he doesn't, then we will know.

Oh, by the way, the "priest" standing at the altar in the center is Luis Camacho, who, on September 19, 2025, the Congresso of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, found “guilty of delicta graviora cum minore - grave offenses involving a person under the age of eighteen." (Archdiocese of Agana, Office of the Archbishop, Dec. 11, 2025, Prot. No. 02-48)

Camacho may have filed an appeal, but until that appeal results in an overturn of the Vatican's verdict, Camacho's status is the canonical equivalent of a convicted sex offender. That's a really "good look" for a church that has suffered as ours has. 

Meanwhile, on April 7, 2026, only 2 days after Camacho appeared on the altar in a Catholic church, Jimenez published this in the Pacific Daily News. 

And then they just dropped this:

APRIL: LACK OF AWARENESS MONTH

By Tim Rohr

Every year, we mark April 1 as Autism Awareness Day with proclamation signing, photo-ops, community fairs, display booths, fun and games. For kids, these special kids...Children grow up, but "autism awareness" campaigns don’t mature beyond pomp and circumstance. “Awareness” ceremonies fail to highlight the challenging realities that await children as they transition to adulthood. - Mar-Vic Cagurangan

There are two important articles in the Pacific Island Times this month: "Lack of awareness month: The abandoned end of the spectrum" by the Publisher, Mar-Vic Caguangan, and "Navigating the DISID labyrinth" by me (Tim Rohr)

Functionally, both Mar-Vic and I make the point that the very system which is constituted to provide for and protect special needs children like ours, is systematically and neglectfully abusing these same children while said providers celebrate themselves with banners, proclamations, and ever more funding and paychecks for themselves. 

Thanks for reading...and caring. Something CAN be done. But it's going to take the same effort as it took to expose the corruption and filth in this archdiocese.