I wrote in my blog that the last number of the U Matuma had to be reprinted because the financial review had to be updated. Tim Rohr addressed a series of questions on his blog.
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What sort of a bishop would be "coming out" at all?
I did not say that THE ARCHBISHOP WAS GOING TO “COME OUT”. THE INTERNAL REVIEW AT THE CEMETERIES AND CATHEDRAL IS GOING ON AND THEY ARE BOUND TO “COME OUT” because this is their work.
• What sort of a bishop would be "coming out" with evidence of mismanagement in order to publicly incriminate one of his priests?
THE ARCHBISHOP DID NOT AND DOES NOT WANT TO INCRIMINATE ANYBODY. THE ARCHBISHOP WENT TO THE RECTOR OF THE CATHEDRAL OFFERING HIM A NEW APPOINTMENT AT ANOTHER PARISH OR A SABBATICAL, AS MONSIGNOR HIMSELF HAD ASKED BEFORE.
• What sort of a bishop takes internal problems public without a single attempt to address those problems with the privacy that charity demands?
THE ARCHBISHOP TRIED TO ASSESS THESE PROBLEMS SINCE 2005, WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CATHEDRAL VEHEMENTLY REFUSED TO SUBJECT ITSELF TO AN AUDIT. IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS THE ARCHBISHOP TRIED OVER AND OVER TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS WITHOUT RESULTS.
CHARITY IS BASED ON TRUTH AND JUSTICE.
OTHERS WENT TO THE PRESS NOT ACCEPTING WHAT WAS AT THAT STAGE A SIMPLE CHANGE OF APPOINTMENT. AFTER THE THING WENT PUBLIC, THE ARCHBISHOP HAD THE DUTY TO INFORM THE PEOPLE OF WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON.
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What sort of a bishop persistently goes to the media (once to the secular media and twice now to the U Matuna) about a problem with a priest that even the manager of the smallest company would not even think of doing?
THE ARCHBISHOP NEVER WENT TO THE MEDIA, YOU WENT TO THE MEDIA WITH LIES AND CALUMNIES AND INSULTS. THE ARCHBISHOP HAS THE DUTY TO ADMINISTER WELL THE GOODS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE WHICH BELONG TO THE FAITHFUL.
• What sort of a bishop goes public with documentation that he won't even show to the priest he is using the documentation against?
THE REPORT OF DELOITTE AND TOUCHE, DOCUMENTING THE PROBLEMS, HAD BEEN PRESENTED TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CATHEDRAL AND CEMETERIES BEFORE THE VISIT OF THE ARCHBISHOP: SO MUCH SO, THAT A TEAM WAS ASSEMBLED AT CATHEDRAL AND CEMETERIES TO CORRECT THE VERY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THAT REPORT.
THE REPORT OF DELOITTE SAYS THAT THE CEMETERY MADE AN AUDIT IMPOSSIBLE. THE ASSESMENT THAT THESE ENTITIES ARE INAUDITABLE, HAS VERY SERIOUS FINANCIAL AND CANONICAL CONSEQUENCES WHICH HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH.
THERE WAS NO OTHER DOCUMENT TO BE PRODUCED, EXCEPT WHAT WILL COME OUT IN THE FUTURE THROUGH THE INTERNAL REVIEW.
• What sort of a company manager would not want to handle his company's problems personally and internally, let alone an Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church?
THE ARCHBISHOP TRIED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS AMICABLY MANY TIMES BUT SOMEONE ELSE CHOSE THE PUBLIC ARENA. ONCE THESE ISSUES BECAME PUBLIC AND WRONG INFORMATION WAS DISSEMINATED, THE ONLY VENUE WAS TRANSPARENCY. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YOU ASKED FOR TRANSPARENCY ON YOUR BLOG MANY TIMES, ISN’T IT? NOW YOU ASK HIM NOT TO BE TRANSPARENT?
• What sort of a father would prefer to smear his son in the press before trying to work things out with his son?
THE ARCHBISHOP DID NOT AND DOES NOT WANT TO SMEAR ANYBODY AND WANTED TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER PEACEFULLY AND WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF HIS AUTHORITY; YOU WENT TO THE PRESS TRYING TO SMEAR YOUR ARCHBISHOP.
• What sort of a bishop is this?
A CARING AND LOVING FATHER.
LET ME ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS:
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WHAT SORT OF PERSON WOULD OFFER A REWARD (!!!!!), TO THOSE WHO WOULD HELP HIM DISCOVER SOMEONE WHO IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL NOR IS SHE INSULTING ANYBODY? THESE ARE MAFIA’S METHODS! DO YOU WANT TO INTIMIDATE ME? DO YOU WANT TO ORGANIZE A BEATING OR A LYNCHING?
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WHAT SORT OF A PERSON WOULD STRONGLY SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE A PETITION TO SEND AWAY A PRIEST IN GOOD STANDING?
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WHAT SORT OF PERSON WOULD INSULT PEOPLE WITH EXPLETIVES IN A PUBLIC BLOG?
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WHAT SORT OF A PERSON WOULD ACCUSE PEOPLE OF CRIMES, EVEN MONEY LAUNDERING, WITHOUT EVEN A SHRED OF EVIDENCE?
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WHAT SORT OF A PERSON WOULD WISH HIS ARCHBISHOP TO GO TO HELL?
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WHAT SORT OF A PERSON WOULD CALL HIS ARCHBISHOP ‘EVIL INCARNATE’?
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WHAT SORT OF A PERSON WOULD WISH HIS ARCHBISHOP SICK OR DEAD?
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE ON THE PAYROLL OF THE CATHEDRAL FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, WHICH MAKES YOU THE DE FACTO SPOKEPERSON OF THE CATHEDRAL ADMINISTRATION, BUT I THOUGHT THAT YOU BELONGED ALSO TO THE CATHOLIC EVIDENCE GUILD OF GUAM, WHICH I RESPECT. THE GUILD RESPECTS HIERARCHY AS DIVINELY INSTITUTED: FOR EXAMPLE, IN YOUR OWN GUILD’S BLOG, REGARDING QUESTIONS OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATIONS, SOMEONE WROTE:
“The same questions, as to which books and their meanings, arise today. Again, we have to consult the successors of the Apostles, the bishops of the Catholic Church.”
OBVIOUSLY, THIS SAME PRINCIPLE OF CONSULTING AND OBEYING BISHOPS, IF IT APPLIES TO THE MOST SACRED RESPONSIBILITY OF INTERPRETING THE WORD OF GOD, IT APPLIES A FORTIORI TO OTHER QUESTIONS ON WHICH BISHOPS SHOULD BE CONSULTED AND OBEYED.
INSTEAD YOU SEEM TO HAVE SHIFTED TO THE MENTALITY OF A FUNDAMENTALIST PROTESTANT SECT FOR WHOM THE AUTHORITY OF THE BISHOP IS NULL AND NON EXISTENT AND EVERY MATTER IS JUST SUBMITTED TO EVERYBODY’S OWN TASTES AND EVERYBODY’S OWN REASONING: THE DICTATORSHIP OF RELATIVISM. YOU CONTINUE TO GO TO THE MEDIA PUTTING YOURSELF ABOVE THE ARCHBISHOP.
COME ON, LET US STOP THIS NONSENSE, STOP PLAYING POLITICS OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND COME BACK TO YOUR SENSES.
BIG PROBLEMS ARE CLOUDING OUR FUTURE, LIKE THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA, WHICH WOULD BE A TRAGEDY FOR EVERY FAMILY, THE INTRODUCTION OF CASINOS AND THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION MEANT TO DESTROY THE VERY CONCEPT OF FAMILY AND HUMAN SEXUALITY.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THESE THREATS AND NEITHER I NOR THE COMMUNITIES CONSIDER YOU AN ENEMY.
WE HAVE TO UNITE TO FIGHT AGAINST THE DEVIL WHO WANTS TO DESTROY OUR FAMILIES AND ESPECIALLY OUR CHILDREN. THE HEALING OF THE ARCHDIOCESE MUST CONTINUE AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY IN GUAM. CONTINUING THROWING INSULTS AND THESE ATTACKS ON PERSONS WILL ONLY DAMAGE THE CHURCH AND WORSEN THE POSITION OF THOSE INVOLVED.