Antoine TajalleMarch 26, 2015 at 4:14 AM
I am not turning a blind eye to the FACT that Fr. Luis was found alone with a 17yr old girl and that he was charged with Custodial Interference. However, there are a few things that I would like to point out that are false and or questionable in the Deacons letters.
1. The statement that the girl and her parents are members of the community that Fr. Luis is presbyter to is FALSE. This implies that the girl and her parents are members of the Merizo Community. There are no couples in the Merizo Community who have a 17 year old daughter.
1. The statement that the girl and her parents are members of the community that Fr. Luis is presbyter to is FALSE. This implies that the girl and her parents are members of the Merizo Community. There are no couples in the Merizo Community who have a 17 year old daughter.
2. The details as to the exact span of events that led to the incident are QUESTIONABLE. To know exactly the course of events would mean that the informant had to have followed Fr. Luis from Merizo to Southern High, enter the school campus to witness the girl enter the car and hide, then follow them to Subway then follow them all the way to the beach and witness them in the act. Not to mention that this informant would have had to been looking in through the front windshield to clearly see the supposed act because the parish car has very dark tint. If this info did not come from the girl or her parents did it come from Fr. Luis? If it came from GPD then these details would have been in the report. It must have come from a private investigator, a stalker or a very creative mind.
Also, CPS may not have any role in this supposed incident since it did not happen at any home.
The FACT remains that Fr. Luis was charged with Custodial interference after being found with a 17 yr old alone in a parked car. This is the only scandal. Until the Archdiocese and or the Attorney General release any info, it remains just that. I understand that the silence may tempt one to begin speculating but dont deter from the FACTS.
Let us hope that whatever the reason may be that caused Fr. Luis to place himself in a compromise, let us hope that the reason was for the benefit of the girl. Let us stay clear from causing any unneeded speculations.
It is said, "all things shall pass." Let this be our prayer too. I pray that whatever may unfold in the investigations that all are able to accept the reality, heal and move on.
In addition to what Antoine stated above, I would like to point out that Deacon Steve Martinez said that it was a person who came to him and told him this information. I find it suspect that any person would go to a deacon rather than to the police to report such information. Any person with information of child abuse always turn to the police. These are questions the jungle folks did not ask, but took the jungle's word for it. When the jungle said that the girl is in the Way, they were brainwashed to swallow that information without questioning it.
Diana, I work in an department that deals with family violence, child abuse, etc. Most people in our culture report these types of incidents to people the are comfortable with and trust. The police is not their first contact. We are trying to teach our people to report these types of incidents to law enforcement officials first and CPS if necessary.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 8:10 am,
DeleteMost child abuse cases are NOT reported to a deacon. One would find more reports by school counselors, school nurse, teachers, doctors, and from persons whose jobs involve children. Adults, whose jobs do not involve children but know of child abuse would most likely turn to either the police or Child Protective Services.
Diana @10:31:
DeleteAnd you know better than Anon @8:10 whose job it is to work with incidents of that nature?? I am a social worker and most people don't go straight to the police or Child Protective Serv. As Anon @8:10 stated, they seek someone they are comfortable and trust . And then that person may, in turn, lead them to reporting to authorities.
Not only that. Out of all deacons, why Deacon Steve?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 12:52 pm.
DeleteYes, I do.
According to the Guam's statistics on child abuse done by the Child Protective Services:
"The majority of those reports come from the Department of Education during the school year, said Rodriguez, while many others come from Guam Memorial Hospital."
http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2014/January/01-21-04.htm
Child abuse sexual deviant behavior is reported to priests/deacons. Clerics always first to know when abuse takes place. Clerics are then duty bound to report to civil authority, to SNAP, and archbishop.
Delete1.56pm. deacon Steve is highly respected on Guam. if my daughter was abused unable to come to me I would want Cecil to report to a man like deacon Steve.
DeleteYou find it suspect for an individual to report such incident to a deacon because it is not the norm. Therefore, you have every right to assume he has ulterior motives, such as trying to degrade our Archbishop. This is the same reason JW suspects sexual abuse because it is not the norm for a priest to take a student to a beach during school hours.
ReplyDeleteYou can question sources or intent all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that AAA is ignoring church policy.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 12:55 pm,
DeleteWhich Church policy is that? Financial transparency......I can understand. But why should the Archbishop go public when he has not yet heard from the Attorney General. The Archbishop is not going to give in to the demands of the jungle.
UHHHMMMMM, did the enticing young lady put anything in writing? Geniuses
DeleteDiana, you keep referring to JungleWatch. I don't know JungleWatch and I really don't care what JungleWatch thinks. I'm just a plain old local person from Guam, like most people, who is trying to understand all these issues with our Catholic church. I guess we can be referred to as the silent majority. The Archbishop is our island leader for the Catholics. If there is turmoil going on in our church, then he should speak out to his people. He should not delegate it to his spokesperson. The silent majority are scared, hurt, and confused. Based on your remarks, it appears that he is more concern about JungleWatch than the majority of the island Catholics.
DeleteArchbishop does not have to wait for AG....Church is a separate entity...all he had to do was give instructions to SARC to investigate....follow Church policy on sexual abuse that is he signed.....apply and enforce canon law...and move on to the next issue.
DeleteDiana,
ReplyDeleteCan you find stats on all the priest scandals all over the world?
I want to know if majority of the priest scandals are from priests who are "products of the NCW"
Dear Anonymous at 2:35 pm,
DeleteYou can start in the following weblink. I suggest that you do your own research on it. The internet is at your fingertips. According to the weblink below:
"About 10% of St. John's graduates reported to have been ordained in the Los Angeles Archdiocese since 1950 -- 65 of roughly 625 -- have been accused of molesting minors, according to a review of ordination announcements, lawsuits, published reports and the archdiocese's 2004 list of alleged abusers. In two classes -- 1966 and 1972 -- a third of the graduates were later accused of molestation."
http://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/17/local/me-stjohns17
Statistics have shown that most priests convicted of sexual abuse come from Catholic seminaries that have embraced a more liberal stand. The Redemptoris Mater Seminary is very conservative. In fact this is what the Vatican stated about the RMS seminary:
"When a Vatican office summarized a 2005-2006 study of U.S. seminaries seeking answers to the clergy sex abuse scandal, it recommended that seminaries make their rules more demanding so men shed a "worldly style of life" - and it suggested the Redemptoris Mater seminaries were examples worth following."
http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/tested-by-discipline-the-way-runs-denver-s-redemptoris-mater/article_b29eaeaa-b51f-11de-b84d-001cc4c002e0.html
Legionaires considered conservative too. Oh, well.
DeleteThese things only happen in Catholic Guam…
DeleteWe let ourselves be bamboozled by a gilagu. Tim Rohr, Deacon Steve Martinez, Chuck White are all foreigners….
A sparsely attended gathering of less than 40 people praying in front of the Cathedral get their photograph on the front page news of a local paper.
People following the teachings of Jesus Christ ‘praying’ and making sure their photograph appears on the front page of PDN. Jesus said, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father…
Catholics despising a seminary that was created for the service of the people in Guam.
An ordained deacon publishes and gives interviews that are detrimental to his Church.
Catholics whose leitmotiv is ‘love one another’ hurt viciously each other in their online blogs. It looks more of a cockfight than reasonable Christian dialogue.
And the list continues… Until then, Buena suette
Biba Guam
Dear Anonymous at 4:52 pm,
DeleteThis is the reason why I said "MOST" priests who were convicted of sexual abuse came from Catholic seminaries that embraced a more liberal stand. Being conservative does not mean that they are immune from the sins of the flesh.
@ 8:52,
DeleteIt's disappointing to read comments like yours, and realize that people like you just don't understand the reality or you have sold your soul. You need to address the concerns point by point instead of generalizing things and accusing others of alterior motives.
Hey Diana guess what Timmy wants to do he wants to close churches he said it on k57 on radio today
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that someone at the Agat or Agana police precinct furnished the statement that Father Luis and/or the girl made to the police.
ReplyDeleteI think the police should make an internal investigation because this leak may jeopardize any further investigation that may be made.
Deacon Martinez and Tim Rohr could not possibly have such detailed information otherwise.
It is clear that someone at the Agat or Agana police precinct furnished the statement that Father Luis and/or the girl made to the police.
ReplyDeleteI think the police should make an internal investigation because this leak may jeopardize any further investigation that may be made.
Deacon Martinez and Tim Rohr could not possibly have such detailed information otherwise.
Clever....,many have it.
DeleteCPS's role is not restricted to the home. Anytime a minor is involved in a crime committed against him or her, alleged or factual, and no matter what location, CPS HAS to be involved.
ReplyDeleteGive CPS a call and request why they are not looking into this case. You will realize that CPS does have some limitations.
Delete
ReplyDeleteNCW defending Fr.Luis and the woman involved. Scandal Diana that you have openly defended this shocking immoral situation. Shame on you ms Diana. What kind of a mother are you?
Dear Anonymous at 8:10 am,
DeleteYou ask what kind of mother I am. I am the kind who will go after the priest for picking up my daughter at school. I will also ground my daughter for getting in the car with a priest and going to the beach alone with him. And after that, I will also go after the school for releasing my child to someone without my consent.
And if the priest had sexual relations with your daughter? Would you be satisfied if the priest was shipped off and hidden? Would you advise your daughter to be silent and make no complaint?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 3:02 pm,
DeleteThe Way has taught me to forgive. Eventually, I will forgive the priest, my daughter, and the school.
Do you actually think that a teenage girl who gave her consent would complain?? What would she charge him with? I would advise my daughter not to pursue a relationship with a married man. Priests are considered married men.
Of course we forgive. That is not the issue. It is more whether you allow the priest the opportunity to do it again with some other person's daughter.
DeleteI suspect you would be much more concerned if you daughter chose to leave the community
Dear Anonymous at 3:30 pm,
DeleteI cannot determine whether this priest will do the same thing again. Like Joseph Lastimoza, he can repent. That possibility exists. The devil always attacks the priests, and they can fall like everyone of us. This is why we need to always pray for our priests.
I would be more concern if my daughter pursues married men. I can understand my daughter's emotion. After all, when I was a high school teenager, I had a crush on one of my teachers, but I never pursued any relationship with the teacher. I would teach my daughter that what she feels for the priest is either a crush or puppy love.....something that all teenagers go through. But our emotions should never rule us. Rather, we need to consider right and wrong choices. In this case, both of them made the wrong choices.
Hi Diana, it appears you are implying that it is a young lady's pursuit of a teacher, a married man, or a priest, that is the primary problem here, to ensure that such a crush or puppy love is not furthered into anything more damaging. While I cannot disagree that both of them made wrong choices here, clearly there is a huge difference in responsibility here.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 4:23 pm,
DeleteI teach my children to always take responsibility for their actions. A 17 year old is old enough to distinguish between right and wrong in the same way as a 29 year old. I do not want to give my daughter the impression that her action was okay just because the adult should know better. She has to learn to take responsibility for the things she does and for the choices she makes. Therefore, she would be grounded
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to hear you say this Diana 9.14am.
Deacon Stevie Martinez wonder? critizing Fr. Ediovaldo's homily?? haha, on Kuam? What was your story of why did you decide to become a deacon? let us hear, maybe if its sooo real, i may be converted. Have you tried recording your own homily Deacon Stevie? Listen to it carefully and see if you can hear yourself. You critize Fr. Ediovaldo's analogy of the "orange" being spit out after it all juice was taken out? maybe you didnt like doing the station of the cross, where Jesus was crucified and nailed on the cross huh? Since its gruesome, PG 13 or whatever.. Lemme hear your classroom like homily Deacon stevie...
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 12:54 pm,
DeleteI have never heard Deacon Steve's homily, but I have heard Father Edivaldo's speak at the Eucharist Congress. I can see that many teenagers understand Father Edivaldo. He is able to get down to their level so he can relate to them. The "orange" was used as a metaphor.....and Christ used a lot of metaphors. Father Edivaldo's message at the Eucharistic Congress was the truth. There are many boys who would take advantage of girls just so they could sleep with them.
Apparently, Deacon Steve do not understand the concept of male/female relationship. To some men, sleeping with many women is a status game. The movies showing college men giving themselves high-fives when they score with a female says a lot about the mentality of some men. Doesn't Deacon Steve know what it means when some men say to each other that they haven't scored or even got to first base with her"??? Women, on the other hand, do not give themselves high-fives when they go around sleeping with men. A female who makes a habit of sleeping with many different men have a name.....and it isn't a good name.
Thank you diana for your clarification. Unfortunately, Luis Camacho did exactly what you said....and it isn't a good name either.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 7:12 pm,
DeleteSo far, those are allegations. Nothing in the police report mentions sex. And in our society, a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Jesus’ answer to all this Pharisaical criticism against Father Luis: “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." By the way,
ReplyDeleteDefinition of PHARISAICAL. : marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness.
ya but you forgot that Fr. Luis is not one of the crowd....
DeleteDear Diana.
ReplyDeleteMy friend phoned me today from St. Luke's where she met Fr. Matthew Blockley. Fr. Blockley was drinking coffee in hospital lobby talking to Guam people. He sits in hospital lobby collecting all news about NCW.
12.19am. Needs prayer.
Delete“ya but you forgot that Fr. Luis is not one of the crowd....” What a clerical mentality!!! " Mgr. Burke went on: The clerical mentality regards the clergy as higher, with a superior status in the life of the Church; and the laity as lower, in a subordinate position...."
ReplyDeleteDear Anon @1:25,
DeleteI don't believe the comment from anonymous @9:53 had to do with 'status' as opposed to the responsibilities of his position. Clergy (much like the Police) are held to higher standards because of the trust that laity place in them.
As as with Peter; all men have failed. What makes anyone thinks we are different?
ReplyDeleteJSB