A PEACEFUL demonstration took place at the steps of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña yesterday evening, with dozens of Catholics gathering in opposition to what they said is the archdiocese's lack of transparency.The Concerned Catholics of Guam led an islandwide motorcade stopping at various parishes yesterday afternoon with the final destination at the Hagåtña cathedral. Participants held signs with “transparency,” “accountability” or “Pope Francis Save Our Church” written on them. One man held a sign that said “Justice. Accountability. Action. Enough is Enough.” Cars lined the streets surrounding the cathedral, many had signs posted on the windows that read “I Love My Catholic Church.”
Speakers at the rally reiterated that they were gathered to pray for the church and pray for the archbishop. “The devil is looking at the fact that maybe we are complacent. The archbishop, to some degree, believes that,” said David Sablan, vice president of Concerned Catholics, to the crowd. “He is our leader and yet he doesn’t listen. ... We haven’t heard from him. This is not what a leader does. A leader explains.”
Mongmong parishioner Jose Martinez also addressed participants at the prayer rally. Martinez said the participants had come together for a rally for their own reasons, but mostly they came together because they are concerned about the church.
“So why are we all gathered here today? We’re all here for our own reason, our own concerns. Mostly I hope, because of a love of our own archdiocese and the love of our archbishop,” Martinez said. “Is this about money? It’s a factor. It’s really about salvation.”
The Concerned Catholics of Guam leadership has said in previous interviews that they think there is a link between Apuron’s ties to the Neocatechumenal Way and the way the church’s funds are spent.
As the crowd finished praying the Divine Mercy prayer, songs sung by a crowd of Neocatechumenal Way followers could be heard from two blocks away.
The songs were sung by a few dozen parishioners from the San Vicente San Roke parish in Barrigada who were gathered in front of the Nanbo Insurance facility at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 33. The group was listening to testimony from a parishioner as the Concerned Catholics at the cathedral ended their prayer rally.
A couple of cars sounded their horns as they passed the Nanbo building, catching the attention of Barrigada parishioners sitting under the tent.
The prayer rally at the cathedral was organized to pray for the community and to save the archdiocese from people working their way into the fabric of the church community, Sablan said yesterday.
Sablan questioned why the Catholics at the Nanbo building did not join the Catholics in front of the church. “They should be here,” he said to the crowd.
http://mvguam.com/local/news/40378-catholics-gather-for-prayer-rallies-in-hagatna.html#.VUZ-RU3GPmQ
The scenario is really powerful. While the communities announce the gospel in the streets, CCOG announces hate towards the church and her representative. Which one is building the church and which one is destroying the church?
ReplyDeleteby the numbers
ReplyDeleteover a million followers in the Neocatechumenal Way worldwide
versus
a thousand local traditional Catholics
A poll taken a few years ago and the conclusion was, (Pope Francis will NOT REMOVE “Brother” Anthony Sablan Apuron), the author was quoted as saying the Pope will (for the good of the WHOLE Church) sacrifice 1 to save 10 the reference was made regarding the issues on the island of Guam
It appears that a few of the catholic locals are upset about what they perceive as unfair treatment by their Church leadership and that the leadership are in favor of promoting “the Way” versus old traditional catholic faith
When asked, the author stated he did not know if any locals responded as the poll was online
see results:
You will read later in the newsletter that another faithful Catholic couple has made a home for themselves in our parish in a unique way: they live on our church property! Fr. Richard Rojas and his family moved into the convent last month, and the house has already become a magnet of activity for the members of St. Thomas More Parish. Gene DeLucy, whose sons are part of this year’s First Holy Communion class, repaired the roof on those few days in April that it wasn’t raining. And my own children have found the convent to be an irresistible attraction, now that four more children live on our campus. Our handicapped parking lot is a veritable playground, so use particular caution when making your own visits, as children from ages 2 to 15 can frequently be found there enjoying each other’s company and the warm weather we’ve lately been blessed with. It’s also a pleasure to have members of the Rojas family augmenting the congregation at Daily Mass. I pray their presence here will draw others into the one fold under one shepherd.
ReplyDeleteThe Rojas family came to us all the way from Guam, but they are not the first to relocate to Scranton to be close to our parish. My sister, Rebecca, and her family came eight years ago, and my sister-in-law, Sandra, and her family came six years ago. Last week I received a call from a man I had met shortly after our return from the Ordinariate pilgrimage to Rome. He told me he was so impressed by his visit to Scranton that he and his family have decided to relocate to our area to be reconciled to Holy Mother Church.
They weren't peaceful at all!
ReplyDeleteWhen we were having the Great Mission, one of the cars with the "I (heart) my Catholic Church" sticker drove by and started honking like a mad man.
I understand that there's this "fight" in the Church, but honking to a group that is proclaiming the Good News of the Love of God is disrespectful and immature on many levels.
Holy Spirit, ...make My Heart Open to God’s Word so that My Heart Might be Open to Good, so that My Heart might be Open to God's Beauty every Day." - Pope Francis
ReplyDelete..."Interesting piece by Diana in Guam whom seems to be handling this with amazing skill! However, parishors in Guam should be thinking how many Catholics have left the Church because they have lost their Faith and have gone back into the world seeking their happiness! ..."How do we bring them BACK?"
ReplyDeleteTrue, NCW, what are you doing over there shouting Kiko ballads? Disturbing, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 10:56 am,
DeleteHow was it disturbing???? The NCW waited until after your protests was over. :-)
Diana do you hear?
ReplyDeleteThey think we were having a "counter rally."
They seriously think we'd entertain their nonsense
Diana, please clarify who "Only A Few Dozens" (the title of your post) refers to: those at the CCOG Prayer Rally in front of the Cathedral Basilica? Or the NCW gathering at the Nanbo parking lot?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the article, "A PEACEFUL demonstration took place at the steps of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña yesterday evening, with dozens of Catholics gathering in opposition to what they said is the archdiocese's lack of transparency."
The article also mentions the gathering of the NCW mentioning that "The songs were sung by a few dozen parishioners from the San Vicente San Roke parish in Barrigada who were gathered in front of the Nanbo Insurance facility at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 33."
If you notice, the word FEW was used to describe the NCW gathering while it appears that you were trying to give the impression that the CCOG Prayer Rally had "Only A FEW Dozens "
Considering that you like to accuse Tim Rohr of misrepresentation, it looks like you aren't above playing the same game.
Dear Anonymous at 12:14 pm,
DeleteI was referring to CCOG, of course. CCOG was expecting 500 people. Not even half of that number showed up........only a few dozens.
Not true...I saw video of rally and there were at least two hundred. The video doesn't lie... you do Diana.
DeleteI live in Texas. Anyone to whom I have spoken to about problems in Guam Catholic Church never heard of NCW. Sorry. Doesn't make an impact in a vast place.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 2:15 pm,
DeleteThe Marianas Variety says that there were dozens. It did not even say hundreds. The only one who say hundreds is.....is, of course,, CCOG.
DeleteWhat are you talking about Diana? There were substantial numbers of Guam Catholics taking to the streets against the dictator and his crumbling administration. Information is already in the Vatican with photos of the decay in the Guam church leadership.
Web articles say thousands of frustrated Catholics join arms to oppose reckless callous Aerchbishop.
DeleteOh, so it's now in the thousands?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 10:24 am,
DeleteWhen are you going to see that the Pope supports the Archbishop of Guam??? Archbishop Krebs was here. The Vatican delegation was here. Tons of letters have been sent by those who oppose the Archbishop. And so far.......you're still trying to get their attention????????
Proclaiming the Gospel...I heard testimonies! Testimonies of pain within the family..who is airing out dirty laundry...
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 3:03 pm,
DeleteFrom those testimonies comes victories....of overcoming those pains, trials and tribulations.
Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good... Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.
ReplyDeleteOnly Christ is good Anonymous May 4th 5:18.
Deleteour own....men's idea of what is good is warped.
Only Christ's SPIRIT allows us the grace to be good.......it is at this moment in time when we realized this fact that the world is a better place.
This is me, a sinner on whom the Lord has turned his gaze. And this is what I said when they asked me if I would accept my election as pontiff. I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept in a spirit of penance
ReplyDeleteJesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit
ReplyDeleteSo go out and reach out to people who doesn't share your ideas, those who are different from you.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 9:48 am,
DeleteChrist said to go out to everyone.
I believe in God - not in a Catholic God; there is no Catholic God. There is God, and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being.
ReplyDeleteThe people are not following Concerned Catholics. I followed the build up for this motorcade, which was enormous (Facebook, flyers, blog, radio… ) and really the result was a let down, a disappointment… and they know it. I do not know where Vangie saw the 300, unless she counted the ants that were around the Cathedral!!!
ReplyDeleteBut let us, for the sake of the argument, say there were three hundred, is that all they can produce after all this publicity and exposure???
Jesus started with only 12...lies and deceit and injustice is the ISSUE.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 9:49 am,
DeleteWhat lies, deceits and injustice are you speaking about. The Archbishop removed Father Paul for disobedience and Monsignor James for financial mismanagement. That story has not changed. The title of the Rdemptoris Mater Seminary is still under the Archdiocese of Agana. That story has not changed at all. But one wonders why the former council left out the credit card debts of Monsignor James along with the fact that they wanted to sell the seminary. Why did they leave that information out.
Quibbling about numbers
ReplyDeleteI followed the build up for this motorcade, which was enormous (Facebook, flyers, blog, radio… ) and really the result was a let down, a big disappointment… and they know it.
That is why they are inflating the numbers.
I do not know where Vangie saw the 300, unless she counted the ants that were around the Cathedral!!! Kuam news even speaks of hundreds!!! Soon in their imagination they will be reporting that thousands were present for this protest against Archbishop.
But let us, for the sake of the argument, say there were three hundred, is that all they can produce after all this publicity and exposure???
The people are not following Concerned Catholics. Period.
I followed the build up for this motorcade, which was enormous (Facebook, flyers, blog, radio… ) and really the result was a let down, a big disappointment… and they know it.
That is why they are inflating the numbers.
I do not know where Vangie saw the 300, unless she counted the ants that were around the Cathedral!!! Kuam news even speaks of hundreds!!! Soon it will be thousands :)
But let us, for the sake of the argument, say there were three hundred, is that all they can produce after all this publicity and exposure???
The Patti Arroyo Show on 567 K-57 – KGUM
ReplyDeleteIt is disgraceful that Radio 567 K-57 - KGUM has become a hell-hole of anger and viciousness against Archbishop Apuron, with Patty Arroyo constantly airing lies and calumnies against our leader of the Catholic faith and regularly inviting declared enemies of Archbishop to be ‘interviewed’.
I do not know who is charge of the radio K-57. It is time to take action, if nothing else to balance this lop-sided presentation of the reality in Guam. Disgraceful.
Dear Anonymous at 7:28 am,
DeleteIt was also Patty Arroyo who started the rumor that Archbishop Apuron took out Father Paul because of the NCW. The letters of the Archbishop showed that he removed Father Paul because of Joseph Lastimosa. The NCW was never mentioned in any of those letters. Father Dan was immediately put in charge after Father Paul's removal and Father Dan is not associated with the NCW at all. But Patty Arroyo was the FIRST one who brought up the NCW. She started the rumor and Tim Rohr picked up on it.
Exactly.
DeleteI still remember listening to the Radio (that I no longer do, because of its viciousness against Archbishop) on Tuesday after the Paul Gofigan issue became public (because Father Paul went to the media) and astonishingly hearing Patty say that the neocatechumenal way is behind all this!!!!! Then the lie grew and grew...
She is responsible before God.
And now Patty Arroyo and Tim Rohr have become big buddies... She is always interviewing him and he is always calling her.
DeleteWhat is the management of the radio doing about this? Do they condone it?
CCOG are happy about this arrangement because in this way they get free publicity to their activities. Pathetic
Do you think that even if patty, Tim and co knew they were wrong they would admit it? I think the poor souls have gone too deep. It is so humiliating to admit that magnitude of their evil that they MUST keep this charade going. All their accusations have been answered but they cannot accept the answer because it would shame them publicly too much. And so they keep digging their hole. Poor things.
DeleteIt was on November 21, 2013 when Patty Arroyo FIRST brought up the NCW as the reason or removing Father Paul. The NCW was never mentioned before this. See the weblink below:
Deletehttp://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39731:father-paul-gofigan-with-patti-arroyo&catid=52:k57-interviews&Itemid=151
If the Archbishop's true intention was to bring the Way into the Dededo Parish, he would have easily assigned an RMS priest there. Instead, he assigned Father Dan, and Father Dan was assigned on July 22, 2013......TWO MONTHS AFTER Patty Arroyo decided to put the blame on the Way as the reason for removing Father Paul. Nevermind the fact that Father Dan was already put in charge of the Dededo parish two months earlier.
Patti Arroyo is an excellent radio host and I always listen to her interviews. patty proclaims fearless truth as she reports to the world the moral decay in the leadership of Amthony Apuron. Don't expect you to publish my comments on your one sided blog but at least know we will not stand for your evil attack on the catholic community. You divided the church but we will unite it.
DeleteThe motorcade involving the HUNDREDS people.....parking must have been hell.
DeleteI bet the apostles tried this to evangelize......you know......riding their camels....horses...donkey's and proclaiming the WORD of GOD as they rode through the villages.
It may have worked....maybe???? I kind of doubt it though; people would have to grab their own camels, horses and donkeys just to keep up with the chatolics to listen
Yea sure. Your way of uniting the church is really reflecting gospel values. Just your tone tells the hatred you have for the bishop. Apart from the fact that you cannot love God and hate neighbor, your bishop is the anointed successor of the apostles: without him there is no Catholic Church in Guam. He is the guarantor of faith. Stop hating and read your catechism.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 10:33 am,
DeletePatty Arroyo was the one who first started the false rumor that Father Paul was removed as a result of the NCW.....and that is the truth. And for your information, the Church has always been divided. Just read your history book. The only one to unite His Church is Christ.
Patti may be an excellent radio host, as one anonymous claims.
ReplyDeleteThe question is - why does she uses the microphone to knock down Archbishop? Constantly?
And the big question is why does this particular radio leaders condone it?
Dear Anonymous at 9:33 pm,
DeleteShe was unethically wrong to even speculate and bring up the NCW as a reason for the removal of Father Paul, knowing full well that Father Dan was already placed in charge. Tim Rohr then took off from that speculation.
Diana you think the ncw problem is exclusive to Guam? We will see what happens with the ncw when they elect a new leader. I doubt the new one will be as powerful as kiko.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 10:24 am,
DeleteKiko has no power. The power comes from God. And no one can beat God. :-)
Acts 5:38-39 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
10:24 that always naturally happens. Does anyone know the leader of Mother Teresa's order now? No.
DeleteDear Diana at 12.39. Just when I think you couldn't make more stupid remarks that you have already, - you go ahead and prove me wrong. You are quite amazing. The idea that "Kiko has no power" either demonstrates a well developed psycho-pathology or simply a willingness to lie. You can choose which one suits you best.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 1;42 pm,
DeleteIt is the truth that Kiko has no power. He is only a man. What psycho-pathology are you speaking of? The fact that many families chose to give up everything to evangelize does not come from Kiko. It came from God because only God has the power to take an entire family and make missionaries out of them. What family outside of the Way do you know gave up job, money, and everything to evangelize in a foreign country?? That is the charism of the Way that can only come from God. That is one of the things that impresses me about the Way.
Another thing that impresses me is the youth. The youths in the Way do not mind spending two hours in Mass and even spend four hours in scrutacio every month learning about the Bible.
Dear Diana. The Church said "stand" and Kiko said "sit". Who did the NCW masses follow? This is the power to influence that resides with Kiko. Kiko says "buy my stuff, for it is better", and you all do that. Kiko has power over you and all the rest. Kiko says " you don't need the CCC for instruction, just listen to my words" and you buy it. Kiko says to the Bishops "come to the Holy land, all expenses paid, and listen to how great I am", and they do.
DeleteThis is power. He wields it like an ego-maniac.
Finally, it is not "youths". The plural of "youth" is "youth". Look it up. Your stupidity makes us sick.
Dear Anonymous at 3:22 pm,
DeleteAccording to Dictionary.com, the plural form for youth is "youths." See the weblink below:
noun, plural youths [yooths, yooth z] (Show IPA). (collectively) youth.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/youths?s=t
So, look who is stupid now!
When you point your finger at someone calling them stupid, remember that three fingers point back at you.
Lol! Anon at 3:22. You sound angry. Sounds like something personal.
Delete1. Youths plural of young people. look it up. Simple google search suffices.
2. Why does my stupidity make you sick? What's it to you?
3. Nobody ever has said substitute kikos preaching for CCC. They have different roles in the passing of faith and they say the same thing. I've read the CCC have you?
Dear Diana at 9.48pm, did you even read the link you posted:
Deletehttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/youths?s=t
It is titled "youth", and one of the definitions given for "youth" is:
"young persons collectively"
Isn't that what you mean when you say "youths"?
Dear Anonymous at 11:41 pm,
DeleteDictionary.com CLEARLY says that the plural form of the word youth is "youths." Even answers.com says so. According to answers.com:
Is the plural of youth youths? Yes, the plural form for the noun youth is youths.
http://www.answers.com/Q/Is_the_plural_of_youth_youths
Even the Wikitionary labels "youths" as plural. See the weblink below:
http://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/youth
This is what I stated in my previous post dated May 6th at 2:03 pm.
"Another thing that impresses me is the youth. The youths in the Way do not mind spending two hours in Mass and even spend four hours in scrutacio every month learning about the Bible."
The first sentence was used collectively. The second sentence is NOT used collectively but in the plural sense.. Remember, YOU were the one who made this remark: "The plural of "youth" is "youth"" without even realizing that the word "youths" also exist as a plural form.
it really is true that a little knowledge is so detrimental. My ignorant friend: there are words in English that are collective and can be pluralized. i.e. people and peoples. youth and youths. the forms are a bit archaic and so it is natural that people who only know colloquial English find them strange. However they are perfectly valid.
DeleteShe did not speculate. She lied. And she did it purposely. There was an agenda behind this lie….As facts have shown. Sad.
ReplyDeletePatti jumps from one subject to the other. I seriously doubt she had an agenda. She is not an expert on the subjects she covers. That is a dream. Find another root cause. 10:18 you are some kind of rare genius.
Deleteare you telling me that the person who originated all the speculation on the NCW, the lies the misinformation, is a ditz with no expertise on anything she talks about?!?!?!? This says more about the intelligence of her listeners than about her.
Deletewhat, pray, is her claim to legitimacy? fi she doesn't have one, why are people listening to her? but if she does have legitimacy, then her intentions are evil and she is a malicious liar.
Dear Anonymous at 2:09 pm,
DeleteEven Tim Rohr acknowledged that it was Patty Arroyo who suggested that Father Paul's removal was about the NCW rather than about Lastimosa. According to Tim Rohr:
In her interview with Fr. Gofigan - and independent of any comment made by him - Arroyo suggested that the action taken against Fr. Paul was not about the status of the registered sex-offender but about the desire of the Archbishop to implement the Neo-Catechumenal Way into Guam's largest parish, a move Gofigan is said to have resisted......................
A few days later, on her Friday show, which she co-hosts with Ray Gibson and Travis Coffman, Arroyo was much more adamant about the whole episode being about Fr. Gofigan's resistance to the NCW..........."
http://www.junglewatch.info/search?q=Patty+Arroyo
So, yes, she was the one who blamed the NCW for Father Paul's removal, which is false. Nowhere in any of the letters sent to Father Paul was the NCW ever mentioned. It was always about Lastimosa, who was a registered sex offender. But Patty Arroyo started this false rumor blaming the NCW and the jungle took off on it.
Oops, I had another question. With the public confessions do NCW members still receive the sacrament of Penance? Does everyone have to confess publicly? What is the purpose of public confession? I don't understand the necessity of it.
ReplyDeleteEleanor Aguon
Dear Eleanor Aguon,
DeleteWe do not do public confessions. Our confessions to the priest are done privately and no one can hear our confessions. We receive the sacrament of Reconciliation just like everyone else in the parish.
She's obviously referring to the public humiliations of the scrutinies. Once the catechists have been kind enough to tell you what your sin is and what your cross is, there's no getting away from it. To overcome your sin or to deny it power in your life would be to claim that you don't need Kiko's way - which is essentially the biggest sin there is (in the minds of the neophytes). So there you are stuck with your sin and your cross, with no possibility of escape - destined to repeat your mistakes - until the catechist finally gives you permission to be free. How wonderful.
DeleteWith all the complaints about how Patti Arroyo allows Tim Rohr air time during her talk show, people would think that she has refused to allow Neocats equal time. She has said more times than I can count and today was another time, that any representative is welcome to call her and present the Neocat side of what Tim Rohr says. But she also says that nobody has taken up her offer yet. Diana, you could call in and use your real name nobody will know it is you. As a matter of fact you can use any name at all to give Patti Arroyo the Neocat side of this mess.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you remember when Travis Coffman had The Big Show in the afternoon he had Chuck White on his show for about 45 minutes and pretty much challenged everything that Chuck had to say. A couple of days later he had Fr. Adrian and Ric Eusebio on for 2 hours and he let them talk as much as they wanted, never pointing out how they did not answer the few questions he asked. He just let them talk and talk. But nobody from JW complained about how Travis treated Chuck differently from Fr. Adrian and Ric. Travis allowed both sides on his show and even though the Neocat interview was much longer nobody from JW complained. Nobody from JW complained when Travis Coffman was putting Fr. Paul down and defending the archbishop while he was on the air with Patti Arroyo and Ray Gibson.
While Fr. Adrian might not want to call Patti Arroyo there is nothing stopping Ric Eusebio (father or son) or Tim Perez or anybody else who is walking from calling her to get the equal time she always offers. Today would have been the perfect time for someone in the Neocats to step in to give your side of the story that Tim Rohr was talking about.