RMS 102

In our last post on this story we noted that four of the five members* of the archdiocesan council were fired en masse after opposing Archbishop Apuron's attempt to hand over the title of the Yona property** to the Neocatechumenal Way. The only member not fired was the Vicar General who is required to be in union with the bishop, but who also is not only a member of the Neocatechumenal Way but has a residence on the Yona property. 

Also as noted in our last post, the archdiocesan finance council is the one council that is not merely advisory. Canon Law requires a bishop to obtain the CONSENT of the council in the matter of the alienation of certain church properties, specifically properties as valuable as the one in question (estimated to be valued currently at 35 million dollars). 

CALL TO ACTION

The time is coming when the people of this diocese may need to act. Since the posting of the ad/public notice by the Concerned Catholics of Guam, there has been a growing interest in supporting a more public effort. 

This may take the form of public protests, public calls for action, calling radio shows, writing letters to the editor, personally engaging certain members of the clergy, financing more and larger efforts to call this archdiocese to accountability, and many other efforts. 

Such actions will be uncomfortable for many. But while challenging church leaders may be new for Guam, it is NOT new either in the history of the church, or in dioceses now throughout the world where injustice and abuse has had its way for far too long under the cover of church authority. 

The onslaught against our diocese, its parishes, and its people has become unbearable for many. We may be asked to endure injustices from without, but these are injustices from within. While we continue to call on the Archbishop to rid himself and this diocese of the foreign forces that have driven us to this, we also call on concerned Catholics everywhere to be ready to stand up in case the Archbishop won't. 

If you care to join us, send your contact information (actual names preferred) to junglewatch.info@gmail.com Your personal information will remain confidential. We will be compiling a mailing list of "go to" people should the day come when we need you. We hope it doesn't. 

IN TODAY'S PDN. VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. THE TUAM STORY.

The following was printed in the Voice of the People, Guam Pacific Daily News, Monday, July 7, 2014 and reprinted here with permission. Here is the link to the original letter by Paul Zerzan and the link to the letter from Fr. Walsh.

AP apologized and corrected Tuam story

On June 29, the Pacific Daily News published a scathing letter from Paul Zerzan taking Fr. Francis Walsh to task for his expose on the connection between Martin Luther and nominalism.

Zerzan, however, did nothing to refute Walsh's proposition, but rather launched into a hit piece spuriously connecting Walsh and his church to the alleged discovery of 800 dead children whose bodies were reportedly dumped into a septic tank at a Catholic orphanage in Tuam, Ireland, in the 1920s.

On June 20, The Associated Press, which first carried the story, issued an apology with the following corrections:

• That the infants had not been baptized. Documents proved that many were.

• That Catholic teaching at the time was to deny baptism and Christian burial to children of unwed mothers. It wasn't.

• That most of the remains of the children were interred in a disused septic tank. They weren't.

As for the last point, the researcher who originated the story admitted that it was impossible to know how many remains, if any, were interred. Get that? "If any!" In fact, the whole story originated from a single investigator's sketchy summary, pieced together from local rumors and posted on Facebook.

As evidenced by the AP's grasping at the least bit of unverified minutiae to trash the Catholic Church, Zerzan is not alone in his hatred. However, now that The Associated Press has issued an apology for the story, shall we also expect one from Mr. Zerzan?

TIM ROHR

Agat

Other links:

MEDIA EXAGGERATED HORROR TALE AT IRISH ORPHANAGE, BY SHAWN POGATCHNIK , ASSOCIATED PRESS

What is the real story behind Ireland’s mass grave? Michael Cook. Mercatornet.

FR. PAUL GOFIGAN WITH PATTI ARROYO. K57. 7.7.14

Part 1: http://pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46637:fr-paul-gofigan-therese-arroyo-matanane-and-fred-rodriguez-with-patti-arroyo&catid=52:k57-interviews&Itemid=151

Part 2: http://pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46638:fr-paul-gofigan-therese-arroyo-matanane-and-fred-rodriguez-with-patti-arroyo-part-2&catid=52:k57-interviews&Itemid=151

GIRM PAR. 305 - NOT THAT IT MATTERS

GIRM 305. Floral decorations should always be done with moderation and placed around the altar rather than on its mensa.

No exception noted in the NCW Statute. However, permission probably given directly from the Pope to Kiko as per SOP. 

Noun[edit]

mēnsa f (genitive mēnsae); first declension

1. A table.
2. A table of food; meal, course, feast.
3. A sacrificial table, altar.
4. vocative singular of mēnsa

HELP US!

WHAT CHANGED?

The following comment is in response to the growing movement to withhold contributions to the church so long as the Archbishop continues to withhold information on what he is doing with those contributions. 

AnonymousJuly 6, 2014 at 10:57 AM

God always protects his priests and his people (Church). It's the parish BUILDING that will be shut down due to lack money to pay for power, water, and administrative operations to buy candles, hosts, wine, and other necessities needed for the sacraments. It's not that the priest s don't care. It's because people like you and Jes of Chalan Pago who don't care. You'd rather see the way destroyed even if the parish building goes down with it.

My thoughts.

The NCW has been on Guam for nearly 20 years. In large part, it wasn't just tolerated, it was welcomed, despite the Archbishop's stated bias and his public insults of other lay charisms (the Cursillo). The only incidence of public disapproval was the protest in front of the Cathedral in 2008, but that was not a protest against the NCW directly, but a protest against the Archbishop's mistreatment of three Filipino priests. And once the situation was addressed, there was no more protest. 

PACIFIC DAILY NEWS - SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2014

UPDATE FROM ASAN

I was wondering when these guys were going to break.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "THE ARCHBISHOP WANTS TO MEET - CONTINUED": 

No need to ask the parish priest in Asan...at today's 5:00 p.m. Mass, he started attacking the "group that's against the archbishop" and then cut himself short by saying, "I don't wanna talk about this now." Fortunately, it is still very difficult to understand his Sicilian accent, even after more than a decade of being "assigned" to Guam! Then too, he's a "fruit" of the RMS, so his allegiance is obvious!

DEAR CHANCERY

I understand you all are scratching and clawing to find out who's behind that ad. Don't worry, you'll have plenty more chances. More ads are coming. But let me save you the hassle of trying to make me the guy behind it. I'm not. 

As you know, I am practically the only person involved in this controversy that uses a real name. I have proudly and publicly attached my name to all my statements, inquiries, demands, remonstrations, allegations, whatever. 

If I was going to put an ad in the PDN calling for what Concerned Catholics called for, what reason would I have to suddenly want to be anonymous? In fact, I would have proudly put my name to that too. In fact, I have already asked for what the ad asked for. 

REALLY?

So you called the PDN to find out who placed the ad? Really? You really expected them to violate their ethics and reveal their customers? The PDN apparently has ethics. Sad the chancery doesn't.

P.S. Not even the PDN knows. There are two intermediaries between the ad and those who paid for it. But, really? How pathetic. You guys are your own mafia.

Hmmmm. Well isn't that ominous. The number of page views exactly when I made this post:

YES, LET'S MEET. WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE?

The following note is fake. But no matter. The post was not important...other than to show that there are a lot people who are very upset by the Archbishop's stonewalling of his own people. Oh, and P.S. to Mr. Apuron. Your note is fake because this post was originally made today at 11:03 am, and you've been "monitoring this for about a week." Right.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "YES, LET'S MEET. WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE?":

Buenas Mr. Rohr,

As I look at this post and monitoring this for about a week, I am truly sad. But in kind, I ask that you take this posting of my brothers house. My name is Jose Apuron originally from Guam but my parents moved to Las Vegas in the 1990s. I have not told my brother Anthony about this recent post but I ask you to please take this down. It may cause chaos to my family here in Las Vegas. My brother Anthony is not the bishop. My Parents named him after Saint Anthony because my brother was sick when he was little and my parents prayed for his intercession. 

Thank you Mr. Rohr and may God bless you.

Jose S. Apuron- Las Vegas, Nevada 

RMS 101: IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE OUR SEMINARY

From the beginning, the Redemptoris Mater Seminary was NEVER meant to be a seminary OF or FOR the Archdiocese of Agana. It was always going to be a seminary for the Neocatechumenal Way.

There is NO local option for local men who desire to serve our local church as priests and not be formed in the Neocatechumenal Way. And how interesting is it that a seminary for the Neocatechumenal Way would be established before a regular diocesan seminary. No other diocese has ever done that.

BOTTOM LINE: We were lied to.

Note: The excerpt is Article III of the By Laws of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Archdiocese of Agana. Much more to come on this.

THE ARCHBISHOP WANTS TO MEET - CONTINUED

Today's Pacific Daily News fleshed out yesterday evening's online post about the Archbishop's invitation to the Concerned Catholics of Guam to meet with him. One of the comments on the PDN story stated that the Archbishop does not have to publish the diocesan financials. Here is my reply which you can also read on the PDN website:

NOW AVAILABLE! TARGET EQUALS PRIEST

What do you know? Just in time for a FOURTH OF JULY SALE. Just received final formatted version from my e-publisher this morning! 

NOTE!

ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK WILL BE GIVEN TO FR. PAUL GOFIGAN TO ASSIST HIM WITH HIS LIVING EXPENSES AND LEGAL FEES. 

Purchasers may set their own price. 

 GET YOUR COPY HERE

Fr. Paul Gofigan was the pastor of the largest parish on the island of Guam. He was also one of the few pastors left on the island who resisted the advance of the Neocatechumenal Way, a cultic international organization that had cultivated heavy influence with corrupt Vatican officials as well as many of the world's bishops, including Guam's. It was only a matter of time before the Archbishop of Guam would be ordered by his Neocatechumenal masters to crush Fr. Paul. That time arrived on July 16, 2013. At a meeting with the Archbishop, Fr. Paul was ordered to resign as pastor, locked out of his office, stripped of his priestly faculties, publicly replaced, ordered to vacate his place of residence, and banished from the diocese. The Archbishop expected Fr. Paul to just go away. He didn't. This is the story.

GET YOUR COPY HERE

• This book is first being made available as an eBook in a variety of formats including PDF, mobi for Kindle, ePub for Nook, and Google Play. 
• A print version will soon be made available. 
• If you wish a hard copy now, purchase the PDF format, download, and print.
• By purchasing at this LINK you will be allowed to set your own price, though the site will ask you to set up a free account. 
• Proceeds from the sale of this book will be given to Fr. Paul to help him with his living expenses and legal fees.
• If you would like to support the author's work who is also the administrator of this blog, a separate contribution may be made here.

SO THE ARCHBISHOP WANTS TO "MEET"

Here's a record of some meetings with Archbishop Apuron. 

In October of 2009, Archbishop Apuron called a meeting with senators to discuss the legalization of same-sex unions. The meeting ended with the Archbishop running away from the press and the senators holding a letter from him insinuating that homosexuals should be put to death. The letter became famous. Google "Apuron" and "homosexual" and see titles such as "Archbishop Apuron looks to the Taliban for inspiration." Despite the horrid outcome of the meeting, an outcome that split Guam even further, Apuron called the meeting fruitful. 

In 2010, the pain in this Archdiocese between the Archbishop and many members of the clergy had grown so severe, that a special multi-day meeting was called for and experts on clerical disunity were called in from Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research. The meeting produced a very expensive 69 page study entitled Cultivating Unity: Research Findings. A Report for the Clergy of the Archdiocese of Agana. The report recommend several courses of action to restore unity between the Archbishop and the disaffected members of the clergy. The Archbishop's actions? You guessed it. NOTHING. Not only was this another ruse and a waste of time and money, it allowed the Archbishop to say he tried and then disabuse the disaffected priests even further. Another fruitful meeting. 

THE APURON EFFECT

LET'S MEET. RIGHT.

Archbishop Apuron to anonymous group: Let's meet

The leader of Guam's Catholic church, Archbishop Anthony Apuron, wants to meet with the group that's calling for the Archdiocese of Agana to publicly disclose the church's finances.

Read full article

Here's my reply on the comments to the PDN article:
Ummmmm, really? Why not just do the right thing, Archbishop? What is there to hide? Why can't you just publish the financial statements like every other U.S. diocese?

So there's your answer people. Now it's your turn. 

*****

NOTE: It's an interesting reply. In fact it was the same reply that I posed to the secret committee that asked me to read a prepared statement to the Media when you were trying to throw S.N.A.P. off your trail in 2010. Shall I name the people at that meeting, Archbishop? Shall I tell you about the stunned response when I suggested that we should just meet with S.N.A.P. and call their bluff because we had nothing to hide? Or so I thought! Yah. Let's meet. Right. 

A MATTER OF THE ARCHBISHOP'S MORAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY

Maria has left a new comment on your post "PACIFIC DAILY NEWS - JULY 3, 2014": 

It really no longer matters to us, concerned Catholics, whether our Archdiocese falls under any rules or polices that require or do not require our Church to comply with financial reporting; rather at this point and time, we Catholics, are simply and plainly requesting Archbishop Apuron to publicly present a financial report and statement on an annual basis for financial transparency.

It is not out of the Archbishop’s need to comply with any sort of civil regulation nor of a Church ruling that concerned Catholics are posing this request to the Archbishop; rather it is the matter of the Archbishop’s simple moral and ethical responsibility; the matter of Christian decency and it is the matter of his plain consideration and regard for the Catholic congregation of this Archdiocese -- the families, individuals, youth, young adults, ministry and apostolate group members, the businesses and community members -- who have contributed and made numerous sacrifices to be able to financially support, donate toward and sustain OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH on Guam because we love our Catholic Faith and Church!

To refuse this request and to resort to ANY excuse, or reason not to address and grant our request for an annual financial report and statement would be an outright arrogant disregard for and an affront to the Catholic congregation of our island of Guam.

PACIFIC DAILY NEWS - JULY 3, 2014

Church finances questioned: Group wants annual audit of archdiocese

Guam's Catholic Church leadership is being challenged to disclose its finances, as other Catholic churches in the United States have done.

Read more.

My NOTE: It says that the Chancery will respond today. Wondering what response they could give other than "yes". They will probably say though that this archdiocese is not apart of the U.S. conference and doesn't have to subscribe to its policies. That would be a pretty poor excuse. Dioceses worldwide, including the Vatican  - which is trying to clean up its scandals - are promoting not just transparency, but STEWARDSHIP of the gifts received from the people. Why this archdiocese thinks it doesn't have to do this is just another example of what we have sadly become used to: silence and arrogance.  

P.S. I've already heard that they are trying to "blame" this on me. Really?

Also: The article says that this blog is about church issues. However, while church issues have come to dominate the discussion here, the blog "watches" many issues in the "jungle". 

ARE RMS SEMINARIANS BEING "FAST-TRACKED"?

Patti asks if the seminarians are being "fast tracked".

Tim Rohr with Patti Arroyo

K57 Radio

July 1, 2014

Listen

NOTICE IN TODAY'S PACIFIC DAILY NEWS

There has been an attempt to make this whole controversy about me, that it's just my personal issue with the Archbishop. It is not. I've simply been the one to put my name on the concerns that have been voiced by people for decades. The massive kickback by almost every parish to the archdiocesan demand for more money in its annual appeal is evidence that this is not just my personal war. This notice in today's paper is another. I don't know who is behind it and I don't care. Who is behind it should not have to be the issue. The issue should be the issue: financial transparency in this diocese. The Notice speaks for itself. The website has a link to a public form where comments can be made. However, feel free to comment here as usual. 

VIOLATION OF OPEN GOVERNMENT LAW - PETITION FILED 7.1.14

Just one of the other groups I keep an eye on. You should too.

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THANK YOU

Thank you for the recent contributions at Support the Blog. Your contributions have helped pay for domain names, website hosting, editing services, and book cover designs...but not for document stealing services in Manila. Just sayin'. Have a nice day, and thanks! More to come!

JESUS AND THE (REAL) JEWISH ROOTS OF THE EUCHARIST

It is evident to anyone who has even a modicum of knowledge about the Jewish roots of our faith that the Kiko-concoction that passes for some sort of a return to those roots is not just a fraud, but an insult to both Jews and Christians. But since so many do not have "even a modicum of knowledge about the Jewish roots of our faith", Kiko has "easy picken's" for recruits to his new religion. 

Chuck White, here, introduces us to a book by Dr. Brant Pitre, Professor of Sacred Scripture at Notre Dame Seminary, in New Orleans, Louisiana, which gives you the real scoop on those Jewish roots. And while the author says nothing about the "eucharist" of the Neocatechumenal Way (he probably never heard of it), you will see for yourself how different Kiko's religion is.