The Archdiocese of Agana has finally confirmed the reason for the removal of Monsignor James Benavente. According to KUAM:
Following the removal of Monsignor Jams Benavente as rector for the Cathedral Basilica and director of director of the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Agana, Archbishop Anthony Apuron today finally issued a statement on the matter.
In a press release he stated that based on the findings of a recent audit he decided that a change in administration in the two entities was necessary and urgent to re-establish proper accounting practices, complete a financial review, financial report and a audit.
According to Apuron an audit conducted by Deloitte & Touche revealed the Cathedral and Catholic Cemeteries have about $7 million in indebtedness. He added the firm determined the accounting practices, especially in the Catholic Cemeteries are "inappropriate" and that an audit is not possible until appropriate accounting has been reestablished in the Catholic Cemeteries of Guam. The archbishop removed Monsignor James from his positions, exactly one week after he celebrated his 20 year anniversary. The monsignor has denied any wrongdoing.
Archdiocese confirms Monsignor's removal was over finances
So if Apuron had the results of the audit all along, then why did he not publicly disclose them a few weeks ago when the public requested for it? What is hiding? So he's only going to disclose what information he can twist to attack the priests who are suppose to be under his care? Archbishop not only knew what the cost of the renovations of the Cathedral and Pigo Cemetery would be, but APPROVED them! Not only that, but both renovations took place over 10 years ago. Why only now is he "concerned" about the cost? We all know that he terminated Msgr. James as rector of the cathedral and director of Catholic cemeteries because he is NOT a neo and he stood up against him when Apuron tried to turn over the Archdiocese's largest financial asset to the NCW. You want to talk about persecution? What Apuron, Quitugua, and Cristobal did to Msgr. James- that is persecution!!!
ReplyDeleteThe different departments in the Government of Guam is all under the Executive Branch, who is headed by the Governor of Guam. If the Director of Public Works (for example) was found to be guilty of financial mismanagement, it would be the Director who will answer for it, not the Governor of Guam. Monsignor James was the Director overseeing the Cemetaries as well as other things.
DeleteThe Govenor is ultimately responsible and would be ousted by way of not being re-elected, or even worse, be taken to court and prosecuted. So the buck shouldn't stop at Monsignor, but extend to the Archbishop.
DeleteWhy the rush to remove Msgr. James? Why didn't Apuron follow through with what he agreed to do which was give Msgr. James time to clear his name? We all know why of course. Because Msgr. would have been able to actually clear his name and the chancery three would not have any excuse to terminate him because he is not a neo.
ReplyDeleteconducted by Deloitte & Touche revealed 7 MIL. Howeee!
ReplyDeleteNo one believes the Arch anymore, and no sane person believes you either.
ReplyDeleteReally? You speak for everybody?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 10:07 p.m.,
ReplyDeleteAccording to the polls, 54% gave the Archbishop an A while only 37% gave him an F. The rest of the grades are also in favor. So, altogether 61% favor the Archbishop with only 4% barely passing. 37% say that the Archbishop failed. You see.......humility works. :)
Polls can be manipulated.
ReplyDeleteThe poll was stuffed. My contact at the PDN News room said that the same 4 computers were used over and over again (Same IP address) If you saw the crowd yesterday clergy, nuns, local leaders, lay people, families, manamko you would be so moved in their cries and calls for a change in leadership. The Guam Catholic Church lead by Tony, David and Adrian (they have lost respect of many so no one cares to call them by their titles) is headed in the wrong way and sadly- when you are surrounded by "yes" men, they will ultimately cause your doom- Look at Hitler, Mussolini, Marcos to name a few. Dictators who in the end lost everything cause their Lt's and their ego. The Archbishop needs to apologize to the people of Guam, be transparent, communicate, make things right with his clergy, leave the NCW and close down the seminary, sell Yona to pay of ALL the churches debt, reorganize the Hill, ask for forgiveness and make things right. That is his path to redemption otherwise sadly- he will go down in history as one of the worlds first. How do you go from 95% Catholic in 1985 to 65% Catholic-present day- Poor leadership!
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 8:03 a.m.,
DeleteWhat crowd yesterday?? The news report I heard last night say that approximately 50 or so people were there. The number of Catholics on Guam today is 85%. Some Catholics have been recruited by the Protestants on this island. The Neocatechumenal Way is how you can get them back through evangelization, which is what the Archbishop supports.
Dear Anonymous at 8:03 a.m., .
DeleteYet you Celebrate when the Archbishop get a high percentage of GRADE F but when he get's an Grade A you called PDN for validation? How low can you go. HAHAHA you'll find a way to justify yourself that satisfy your judgement.
Pitiful soul.
If you think only 50 people showed up, then you are in DENIAL!!! Look at the pictures!!!!!!!
DeleteDear Anonymous at 12:04 p.m.,
DeleteHave you been reading the news report lately??? They say "a few dozens" were there. Another news report said "about 50" people" were there. I was not there, so I rely on the news reporters who were there.
@Diana and Pitiful Soul- There was much much more than 50 people there. You need to learn to count. Look at the pictures on all the social media and PDN, Marianas Variety, and the TV News- look and see that there were hundreds.
ReplyDeleteFrom where I was standing- there was about 20+ nuns there- Mercy, Notre Dame combined- Deacons, Priest, and Clergy was out in force too- Fr. Jeff, Fr. Mike, Fr. Patrick, Fr. Eric, Fr. Efren, Deacon Richards, Martinez, and a few more I don't know the names of and Mgsr. James.
Sen. Tony Ada, Rory Respicio, Chris Duenas, Tom Ada, BJ Cruz, Frank Blas Jr. Fmr. Speaker San Agustin, Gov. Gutierrez, Gov. Calvo, First Lady Calvo, First Lady Joann Camacho. There were lots more but I couldn't see past the HUNDREDS!!!
The number of Catholics is NOT 85% you are very desperate and reaching- try 65% and about -40% who are practicing ask your pastors- you see them at clergy meetings. Look at mass attendance? You need a reality check. They left the church cause of the poor leadership and scandals of Tony since his reign of terror in 1985- just ask ANY former catholic why they left. I can record it for you and post it on youtube or sound cloud.
Time to celebrate- break out the champagne and tambourines. You are willing to sell a lie to pretend all is well but it is not. I am a responsible journalist. I know the facts and the truth unlike you.
Dear Anonymous at 10:46 a.m.,
DeleteYour numbers is not even one fourths of the Catholics on Guam. According to the PDN, the majority of Catholics who participated in the polls support the Archbishop.
@Diana, more lies. What don't you understand? Why are you in denial? There is no way you can tell if the votes in the polls are Catholics. That is just dumb and delusional . I can publish the list of the IP Addresses of all the 2000+ votes and IP locators. It will be embarrassing to show that many of the "F"s were single casts and many of the "A"s were cast by the same IP addresses many many many many times. I think I'll publish it in the jungle and what will the statement from the archbishop be. distract, redirect, and pretend it wasn't anyone from his camp.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 11:59 a.m.,
DeleteWhat I find ironic is that under this thread, someone posted that when the Archbishop had a grade of F, you and the jungle were rejoicing. In fact, I was told that the jungle published the weblink on where to vote in the polls, and Tim encouraged people to vote. As you can see in my blog, I never provided the weblink to the polls. In fact, I did not know about the poll until I read it in my newspaper and then logged on to PDN. A brother in the community told me about the polls, but I had already submitted my vote. I only printed the poll results AFTER it was closed.
Because of Tim's encouragement in his blog, he should have gotten more supporters from his flock. And I am certain that Tim's supporters were the first ones to vote because they got it straight from his blog. I never encourage anyone to vote on the polls nor did I provide the weblink to the PDN voting poll in my blog, but look at the end results. The one who tried to use the PDN poll to humiliate the Archbishop backfired on him.
It was because you were busy with the press release on James Benavente's allegations and more damage control. When is the rest of the audit coming out? I think there should be a petition drive calling for the resignation of AAA and see how many Catholic are willing to sign it and then what can be said?
DeleteAnonymousJuly 30, 2014 at 12:29 PM That is not your decision to make. Who do you think you are? The Pope?
DeleteI think when Rome see's letters, emails and resolutions from Top Government Officials, Clergy, Religious Organizations, the Laity and the General Public AND is presented with thousands and thousands of signatures and online signatures they will take notice and the world media will I am sure of it. The wheels are in motion and this is going to happen. It will be a huge embarrassment for Apuron that the island does not trust him, or care for him anymore and what will Rome do? Listen to the people? or side with Apuron. Apuron only has the job cause cause there was a very limited pool of candidates to pick from. Everyone was either too old or not yet ordained. So it wasn't divine intervention or Rome's pick- it was the lesser of several slim pickings recommended by the Nuncio. It isn't as "glorified and holy" in the process as you think and the pope is not even involved - he just signs off on it. No one expected Flores to die so it was a rush to fill the position.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 6:59 p.m.,
DeleteGod chose Anthony Apuron to be the Archbishop. That was God's choice. Please learn about your Catholic faith. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
CCC 1586 For the bishop, this is first of all a grace of strength ("the governing spirit": Prayer of Episcopal Consecration in the Latin rite): the grace to guide and defend his Church with strength and prudence as a father and pastor, with gratuitous love for all and a preferential love for the poor, the sick, and the needy. This grace impels him to proclaim the Gospel to all, to be the model for his flock, to go before it on the way of sanctification by identifying himself in the Eucharist with Christ the priest and victim, not fearing to give his life for his sheep:
Father, you know all hearts.
You have chosen your servant for the office of bishop.
May he be a shepherd to your holy flock,
and a high priest blameless in your sight,
ministering to you night and day;
may he always gain the blessing of your favor
and offer the gifts of your holy Church.
Through the Spirit who gives the grace of high priesthood
grant him the power
to forgive sins as you have commanded
to assign ministries as you have decreed
and to loose from every bond by the authority which you
gave to your apostles. May he be pleasing to you by his gentleness and purity of heart,
presenting a fragrant offering to you,
through Jesus Christ, your Son. . . .
AnonymousJuly 30, 2014 at 6:59 PM I wrote people also and other Government leaders in regards to all the SLANDERS you have propose and explain to them how Jungle Watch is influence by hate and prejudice. I wrote the Pontifical Council with Local Committee also here on Guam who supports our Archbishop. Written 25 U.S. states also to .write to Rome about how Archbishop being plotted conspiracy by Jungle Watch. New Zealand and Australia and Fiji are also writing in support of Archbishop.
DeleteDear Archbishop help are coming. God is with you and take courage. I obey and we all obey because that's how the POPE taught us. Not by our own man made authority.
How do you get the debt to 7 Million without noticing? When it passed 1 million something should have been said but to me the good monsignor was the scapegoat and the people know it and see it. ANY household, business, company, or department would NEVER let it get that high unless the leadership is asleep at the wheel and doesn't care. Maybe it was the plan all along? Shame on you Apuron. I don't blame Mngsr. James,it isn't HIS debt. The bills are high at the Cemetery cause it is too darn expensive to be buried there and people want nothing to do with this Archdiocese! So you can't pay your bills if you get no income same goes to Cathedral- the NCW DOES NOT contribute 1 cent for power, water, or usage. Who knows where their money goes- that is the 7 Million dollar scandal and question. I don't see 9:30 mass being packed so that means the people are giving or caring? The cathedrals annual appeal numbers and goals were so low. Mngsr. was the captain of a ship that was already doomed cause the Admiral Apuron ignores him.
ReplyDeleteSo Mngsr. James' option are an assistant pastor at Tamuning or Dededo or go on Sabbatical? Wow how sad.