Archbishop Apuron's Canonical Trial

According to the Pacific Daily News:

Burke, in an Associated Press report, said he aims to wrap up the Apuron investigation by the summer. The report also said Burke denied he had been sent to Guam as "punishment," telling Italy's Mediaset it was normal for cardinals to take on extra jobs in their areas of expertise.

I had assumed that the trial would take years, but Cardinal Burke aimed to wrap everything up by the summer, which is a few months away.  If Archbishop Apuron is found guilty, then he will be removed and Archbishop Byrnes will automatically become the Archbishop of Agana. The title "Coadjutor" will be dropped.

On the other hand, if Archbishop Apuron is found not guilty, then there will be another trial.  It will be a civil trial.  Archbishop Apuron will be filing a defamation lawsuit against ALL his accusers.  While it is true that there is already a civil trial filed by the four alleged victims, Archbishop Apuron will be filing his own defamation lawsuit. We simply have to wait for the result of the canonical trial. 

Vatican Tribunal Moves On To Hawaii

According to the Guam Post:

The Vatican tribunal led by Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, which came to Guam last week to investigate sex abuse allegations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron, is in Hawaii to hear testimony from former Agat Parish altar boy Roy Quintanilla, according to a document The Guam Daily Post has received.

"As this tribunal has been informed of your readiness to be heard in the above-titled case regarding accusations against His Excellency, the Most Reverend Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap., at the direction of the Presiding Judge, I am forwarding to you his decree of citation by which you are called for said hearing," Rev. Justin Wachs wrote to Quintanilla.

According to Post files, the tribunal comprises Burke who serves as the presiding judge, Rev. Robert Geisinger who serves as the prosecutor, Rev. James Conn who serves as Apuron's advocate, and Wachs who serves as the tribunal's notary and designated recorder.

The Vatican investigators have now moved on to Hawaii where they have contacted Roy Quintanilla to meet with them. David Lujan has advised his clients not to meet with them, but the choice is also up to Roy. 

Yesterday during the Patty Arroyo talk show, I was a bit surprised to hear Tim Rohr say that of all the four alleged victims, Roland Sondia was the most credible due to his character.  And what does that say about the credibility and character of Roy Quintanilla, Walter Denton, and Doris Conception?  

In Response To Sunday Picketer

Sunday Picketer made the following comment, which can be found here:

Sunday PicketerFebruary 19, 2017 at 8:18 PM

Anonymous 11:40 AM, there are a lot of manamko on the picket line but we're not all manamko AND like the manamko I know what I'm picketing for and who I'm protesting against.
I'm picketing for Apuron to be permanently removed as Archbishop so sometimes I carry the APURON OUT sign. Sometimes I carry the DEFROCK APURON sign because I believe that he ruined the lives of many more young boys besides the 3 who have accused him and the 1 dead man whose story was shared by his mother and brother.
Diana pointed out that Mr. Sondia was on the radio with Patti Arroyo without his lawyer present. The difference between the June 2016 K57 interview and the one last week with Cardinal Burke is that in June there was no lawsuit pending. But as of November 2016 David Lujan officially became Mr. Sondia's lawyer when Mr. Sondia filed the lawsuit against Apuron. It's not a good idea for a layman like Mr. Sondia to face the representatives of the Church who are all ordained like Apuron without his lawyer. Let's face it. The priests and Cardinal Burke are more interested in protecting the Church from scandal than they are about Mr. Sondia.

BTW: From what I've been told and from what I've read from former members, if anyone is being used and deceived it's the members of the NCW who cannot make decisions without the permission of their higher-ups who tell them which job to take, who to date or marry, when and where to go on vacation, etc, etc, etc

This is my response:

Dear Sunday Picketer, 

First of all, David Lujan officially became Roland Sondia's lawyer when he publicly announced his accusation against Archbishop Apuron at a press conference with David Lujan standing right beside him.  See the photo below: 

You stated that there was no lawsuit pending.  However, there was an anticipation of a lawsuit.  Why?  Because on May 13, 2016 in response to the paid sex ads targeting the Archbishop, Archbishop Apuron came out and stated that he will file a lawsuit against those who are defaming him. According to KUAM news:

Last Friday - on Friday the 13th - the Archdiocese of Agana announced plans to file a civil suit against those spreading lies about the church and Archbishop Anthony Apuron. 

There was already an anticipation of a lawsuit before any of the alleged victims came out.  In fact, Tim Rohr admitted through news media that he obtained a lawyer for the alleged victims due to this anticipation of a lawsuit that was announced by the Archdiocese on May 13th. Furthermore, KUAM news reported that David Lujan was officially Mr. Sondia's lawyer.  

However, even with the anticipation of a lawsuit that was made by Archbishop Apuron, Mr. Sondia was allowed to testify to the media without the presence of his lawyer.  He was also allowed to testify in the public hearing for a bill that would lift the statutes of limitation, and again without the presence of his lawyer.  

The only difference between the Patti Arroyo talk show and the Vatican investigators is that Patti Arroyo never swore Mr. Sondia in.  The Vatican investigators, on the other hand, would ask Mr. Sondia to swear to tell the truth before the Almighty God.  

Secondly, Roland Sondia is not the one on trial.  Archbishop Apuron is the one on trial.  The investigators were there to get depositions in order to determine what the truth is so that a just judgement of guilty or not guilty would be rendered onto Archbishop Apuron.  So, what does Roland Sondia and his lawyer have to fear when they were not the ones on trial?  The Pope will judge Archbishop Apuron's fate after the documents are reviewed in the canonical trial; therefore, that was an opportunity for Mr. Sondia to finally tell his side of the story to the Vatican, and he refused.  His refusal makes the case for Archbishop Apuron stronger and in his favor. 

Finally, you stated: "if anyone is being used and deceived it's the members of the NCW...."  Sunday Picketer, YOU were the one who was deceived into believing that there was no canonical trial.  The jungle led you to believe that the canonical trial did not exist.  Now, you know it exists.  YOU were deceived into believing that Archbishop Apuron was hiding out in the seminary that some of the Sunday picketers showed up at the doorsteps of the seminary demanding to speak to Apuron.  Now, you know that Archbishop Apuron was never on Guam.  

Vatican Investigators On Island To Get Depositions

According to news report, Roland Sondia did not give his oral deposition to the Vatican investigators.  However, Mr. Sondia was willing to give his testimony to the media without his lawyer being present.  On June 16, 2016, Mr. Sondia appeared in the radio studio and was interviewed and questioned by Patti Arroyo.  You can listen to that interview here.  Then comes the opportunity for Roland Sondia to testify to the Vatican investigators so that Rome would know his side of the story, and he refused to give his testimony.  He chose to follow his lawyer's advice.  According to KUAM news (the bold is mine):

The group is scheduled to meet with other members of the community to receive testimony. Seen leaving the Chancery prior to Sondia's meeting was Deacon Steve Martinez. Martinez was a former Sexual Abuse Response Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Agana until he was removed by Apuron.

The group is scheduled to meet with other members of the community to receive testimony.  Obviously, Deacon Steve Martinez was one of them.  Who else did the Vatican investigators have in mind? 

By the way, why is Monsignor James and Father Paul off-island at this time?  Was it a coincidence that they are not on island when the Vatican investigators are here?  Was it possible that they knew the Vatican investigators were going to be here and decided to disappear in order to avoid being called in for questioning?  Or is it simply a coincidence? 

Furthermore, an anonymous poster wrote the following comment under the last OP.  His/Her comment made a lot of sense (spacing is mine):

AnonymousFebruary 16, 2017 at 10:55 PM 

Anon 6:50 pm 

This advise from David Lujan makes no sense. Usually the person who is being accused is advised not to speak, because if he says anything politically incorrect it can be used to further accuse him. 

The defendant shouldn't need to be politically correct on how he was abused if he is indeed the victim. This is suspicious behavior leading people to think there are ulterior motives.  

Even more so if the only gain is to block the Vatican's investigation. I don't know but if I was the victim I would want the Vatican to know everything so justice could prevail. 

Canonical Trial Moving Forward

The canonical trial, which Tim Rohr says does not exist, is moving forward. Cardinal Burke is now on Guam and will be getting a deposition from Roland Sondia, one of the alleged victims accusing Archbishop Apuron of sexual molestation.  The Vatican will also get depositions from the other alleged victims including Doris Concepcion, the mother of Joseph Quinata.  From what I understand of how the Vatican operates, their lawyer, David Lujan, will not be present with Roland Sondia.  This should pose no problems.  After all, Roland Sondia has been telling his side of the story in public and in the media quite well.  We already know his story from his testimony through the media.  Naturally, Cardinal Burke and those with him will ask Mr. Sondia further questions regarding the sexual allegation.  The canonical trial is moving forward.  According to news report: 

ROME - Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, a church law expert and former head of the Vatican’s highest court, arrived in Guam Feb. 15 as the presiding judge in a church trial investigating allegations of sexual abuse leveled against Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of Agana.

The Vatican press office confirmed a “tribunal of the first instance” was constituted by the Vatican Oct. 5 and its presiding judge is Cardinal Burke. Four other judges, all of whom are bishops, also were appointed, the press office said.

“When an action is in a ‘first instance’ court, that indicates that it is in the initial trial phase,” according to the website of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles accusations of clerical sexual abuse.

Three men have publicly accused Apuron of sexually abusing them when they were altar boys in the 1970s. The mother of a fourth man, now deceased, also accused the archbishop of abusing her son.

Apuron has refused to resign, but in late October, Pope Francis named former Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Michael J. Byrnes as coadjutor archbishop of Agana and gave him full authority to lead the archdiocese.

Roland Sondia, who works for Pacific Daily News and is one of Apuron’s accusers, told the newspaper that he had received a letter from Burke requesting his presence at the Agana archdiocesan chancery Feb. 16 “for the purpose of giving said testimony.”

At a news briefing Feb. 10, according to Pacific Daily News, Byrnes announced the archdiocese would adopt the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Accusations of clerical sexual abuse involving minors automatically would be reported to civil authorities, he said.

Also at the briefing, the archbishop confirmed that Vatican investigators would visit Guam, but he provided no further information. 

Rediscovering Jesus

I was listening to the interview of Archbishop Byrnes in the Patti Arroyo talk show.  You can listen to the interview here and here.  His top priority is to have people rediscover Jesus especially among the young people.  Archbishop Byrnes was concerned that many young people do not attend the Church after receiving the sacrament of Confirmation.  This is indeed a great concern on the island.  After confirmation, you do not see many youth return to the Church until they get married or need to baptize their child.  So, that is his number one priority.  

In the Way, we have many youth in the communities.  Many of them are inspired to become cantors in the communities.  Our youth also participate in the Youth Scrotacio every month.  Some of these young people have also been inspired into the vocations of the priesthood.  Some of the girls in the communities have also joined the Carmelite nuns and families have stood up to become mission families. Most impressive of all, is our youth taking part in the World Youth Day to see the Pope. Guam's youth also take part in evangelizing while they are on World Youth Day.  

Below is a video that I found.  It was the World Youth Day of Brazil in 2013 showing Guam's youth from the Neocatechumenal Way. 

Archdiocese Given More Time

According to the Pacific Daily News, the Archdiocese of Agana was given up to March 10, 2017 to respond to the sexual allegations filed in federal court.  There are currently 17 lawsuits filed and each lawsuit demands a jury trial and 5 million dollars in damages.  That is a total cost of 85 million dollars. According to news report: 

Manibusan said the archdiocese may stagger its motion briefing into two rounds to potentially reduce costs and promote judicial efficiency and economy.

Manibusan said he first will address any arguments that challenge the validity of the law that lifted the statute of limitations for cases related to child sex abuse. The archdiocese has until March 10 to file motions related to that issue.

Should the court deny that motion to dismiss, the archdiocese will file a motion that addresses deficiencies in the lawsuits, Manibusan's order states. 

Pope Paul VI's quote

Someone was able to get some of the Pope's quotes on the NCW in Father Pius' website, which is found here.  An anonymous poster quoted what Pope Paul VI said about the NCW.  According to Pope Paul VI: 

Pope Paul VI in 1977: "Saint Augustine says this: If we cannot have the catechumenate beforehand, we will carry it out afterwards. This is the secret of your formula, which provides religious assistance, a practical training in Christian faithfulness, and effectively integrates the baptized into the community of believers which is the Church. Many people are attracted to these Neocatechumenal Communities, because they see that there is a sincerity, a truth in them, something alive and authentic, Christ living in the world." (General Audience of January 12, 1977) 

Just because the link in Father Pius' webpage does not work does not mean that the Pope did not make the quote or that Father Pius was lying.  You can still find the same quote if you google it.  So, please do not be so quick to judge.  Do your research first.  You can find Pope Paul VI's entire speech here.  

Learn to think and not just swallow everything the jungle tells you.  Learn to search for the truth, and do not allow a blank link page to stop your search because there are many reasons why a link page comes up blank.    

Vatican Investigators To Visit Guam

According to the Pacific Daily News, Archbishop Byrnes said that Vatican investigators will be arriving soon as part of the ongoing canonical trial of Archbishop Apuron.  Therefore, I assume that the canonical trial is at the discovery stage where depositions are gathered from the alleged victims.  The alleged victims will get to tell their stories again as they did to the media and in the hearing of the Guam Legislature.  According to PNC news:

Today, during a press conference held by Byrnes to discuss a new safe environment policy, he also answered questions about Apuron’s canonical trial.

"It’s just, it’s ongoing. Actually the contact I just had the other day is that it’s well underway, was the language used," said Byrnes.

Wall, who was a former priest and acted as an investigator at one point for Rome.

"It’s a paper trial; literally where the ordinary becomes aware of the problem so the local bishop or the pope becomes aware of the problem. They send an investigator, usually almost always is a priest," explains Wall. "The prosecutor, which the church calls a promoter of justice, then begins the formal canonical process of putting together all of the facts and then putting together charging papers against that particular priest or bishop." 

In fact, Wall says it could be years before the results of the trial are known. There are no benches and witness stands or defense tables for the parties to sit. There aren’t any pews for spectators to watch from the sidelines.

Hopefully, the trial will be done in a timely manner and not take several years. However, the fact that it is taking this long is good news.  Why?  Because it shows that the Vatican is more interested in facts and in the truth.  The fact that the Vatican investigators will be coming to Guam to obtain depositions from the alleged victims shows that the canonical trial is about the sexual allegations, and not about HOW Archbishop Apuron responded to the allegations. 

Recently, a priest from Boston tried to get deposition from three of the alleged victims, but their lawyer David Lujan stepped in and instructed his clients not to give any depositions.  If the Vatican investigators are here, would the alleged victims give them their depositions?  Will they answer the questions of the Vatican investigators themselves or allow their attorney David Lujan to speak for them?  I am certain that the Vatican investigators prefer to hear the testimonies from the alleged victims themselves.  I am sure that the Vatican will also be taking a deposition from Archbishop Apuron as well.   

Radicalism

According to today's Pacific Daily News. SNAP does not believe that the Vatican's canonical trial of Archbishop Apuron will lead to justice.  Well, we already know that SNAP is being accused in a lawsuit of providing potential survivors to lawyers in exchange for money.  We also know that the Founder and President of SNAP resigned along with the Executive Director following those lawsuits. Obviously, SNAP and the Junglewatch Nation do not believe in our democratic principle of "due process." There will be comments coming into this blog asking about the "due process" of Father Paul and Monsignor James.  However, the fact that they took their case to Rome means that their due process was not denied. Archbishop Apuron was waiting for Rome's decision on their cases.  Now, we await the decision of the Pope regarding the canonical trial.  The ones who denied him due process were those who were unwilling to wait and want him defrocked.  

One then has to wonder why the hurry in getting him defrocked?  Why all the demonization of Apuron?  Even SNAP is in on it......the same SNAP who now finds itself in a lawsuit for allegedly providing potential survivors in exchange for money.  One then wonders about these potential survivors who have come forward with only their testimonies and seeking 5 million dollars.  

The alleged victims who accused Archbishop Apuron of sexual molestation stated that it was never about the Church, but about one man and it was never about money. According to the Pacific News Center dated May 18, 2016 (the bold is mine): 

Quintanilla says he has no intention of taking the archbishop to court. All he wants is for the archbishop to admit what he did wrong. He also says his public statements are aimed at Archbishop Apuron and not at the Church.

"I want it to be clear that I’m not confronting the catholic church, I’m not confronting the faith, I’m confronting the person: Anthony Sablan Apuron. And I’m offended that in his response he hides behind the church and he hides behind the cloth and implies that I am slandering the church when that could not be further from the truth. I am not slandering the church, I love my faith and I love the catholic church," he says.

While it may seem timely that Quintanilla’s allegations were made just a few days after a paid advertisement was released calling for clergy sex abuse victims to come forward, Quintanilla explains that he had already been planning to come forward well before the advertisements were published.

"The reason I came out was because 40 years ago I thought that I was his only victim and it wasn’t until about maybe a month and half ago that I discovered that there are other victims," he notes. 

 Roy Quintanilla was not alone in making these statements.  Walter Denton, Roland Sondia, and Doris Concepcion made similar statements: "It's not about the Church, but about one man", "I'm not here to sue the Archbishop, but I want him to make a public apology and step down" and "I love the Catholic Church." Yet, today we see these accusers bringing a lawsuit against not just one man, but against the Vatican itself, the seat of the Apostle Peter.  And each alleged victims are asking 5 million dollars.   

So, how does one proclaim to love the Catholic Church; yet, go after the seat of the Apostle Peter with a lawsuit?  How can one proclaim to be Catholic; yet, tell his followers not to look to Rome?  Who then are Rohr's followers supposed to turn to if not toward Rome?  The Church in Rome is the seat of the Apostle Peter, the Vicar of Christ.  Christ chose only one leader to take care of His entire flock, and that was the Apostle Peter.  He did not choose Tim Rohr or the Junglewatch Nation to take care of His entire flock.  That role belongs to the Pope, who sits in the chair of the Apostle Peter. Whatever decision the Pope makes in the canonical trial is what all Catholics must follow.  Why?  Simply because we are Catholics in union with the Pope.  If the Archbishop is found guilty, he will be removed and Archbishop Byrnes takes his place.  If he is found not guilty, then he returns as the Archbishop of Agana.  

This comment below came from Alexander Chen from the PDN:

Alexander Chen Northeastern University 

Just the fact that Apuron is being relentlessly and maliciously portrayed (by SNAP, Tim Rohr and the MEDIA) as if he has already been convicted of 'ALLEGED' crimes is enough evidence that justifies Apuron to seek help AWAY from Guam. After reading the countless postings by Tim Rohr in his blog I am convinced that he is a disciple of Hitler himself, who said, and I quote: 

"Never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it." "Hitler as His Associates Know Him" (OSS report, p.51) 

The media enjoys the unprincipled freedom to assassinate the character of Archbishop Apuron based ONLY on unsubstantiated testimony. That in itself IS an INJUSTICE. Testimonies seeking damages in excess of $5million dollars is hardly PROOF? How do PDN JUSTIFY/PROVE TO THEMSELVES that these are not slanderous/fraudulent accusations? Is PDN accountable from spreading unsubstantiated information. 

The only proof out there is that the more Tim Rohr speaks about the diocese, the Church, the Bishops, the property in Yona, the scandals, the more he exposes his bully & vulgar demeanor.

He makes an excellent point.  Adolf Hitler was a radical.  These are the rules that radicals follow, which you can find here.  The ones I listed below are what everyone is aware of in the jungle. Radicalism always has an agenda.  The comments in black are mine.    


 * RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.” If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules. (This is a serious rule. The besieged entity’s very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.) CCOG expects the Church to be financially transparent as to how much was collected and where all the money goes; yet, CCOG and LFM has never been transparent in the amount of funds they collected and where it went.  

 * RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.) We can all see that they attack the Archbishop and do not care to see justice. They also attacked Archbishop Hon when they felt he was doing something they disapproved. Their agenda is to get the Archbishop defrocked without due process and to implement the things they want.

 * RULE 6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.” They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid “un-fun” activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)

 * RULE 7: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.” Don’t become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.)

 * RULE 8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)  In other words, listening and reconciliation is not in their agenda. Their agenda is to get what they want regardless of the truth.

 * RULE 9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.” Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists’ minds. The upshot is that the organization will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)

 * RULE 10: “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog........ The behavior of the radicals is to provoke violence from the other side.  This is why Father Pius emphasized "humility" to the communities.  We need to remember that the REAL enemy is the devil.  The people are being misled by the devil.  

 * RULE 11: “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.” Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table, to be given a forum to wield their power. So, they have to have a compromise solution.)  

 * RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.

Special Meeting Last Night

Last night, the NCW had a special meeting at Asan Church with our head catechist, Father Pius. For those who were there, he gave us some good news.  First of all, Kiko Arguello will be starting a pilgrimage from Canada to South America.  Kiko is 76 years old (if I am not mistaken) and he feels his time to join Carmen Hernandez will be soon.  He will be in Denver, Colorado on March 11th.  So, the communities are invited to meet with him in Denver. 

Secondly, another good news is that there are catechesis still ongoing in Agana, Agat, and Merizo. The catechesis is going well.  Fourteen people attended the catechesis in Agana, and ten people attended the catechesis in Agat.  I do not remember the number in Merizo. 

In the third place, Father Pius will be staying in Guam.  He will be meeting with some of the brothers in the communities. A schedule was made out and some of the communities were given a schedule as to when they will be meeting for their next step. They will also be meeting with those who stood up during the vocation calling at the Beginning of the Year Convivience and Transmital.

Finally, a team of catechists will be going to the neighboring islands to establish the Neocatechumenal Way there.  The bishops of those islands have already given permission to establish an NCW in one of their parishes.  

Founder Of SNAP Resigns

First, the Executive Director of SNAP David Clohessy resigned from his position. Now, Barbara Blaine, President and Founder of SNAP has resigned. According to news report:

The founder of the group that advocates for priest abuse victims has stepped down after three decades of campaigning to force the Catholic Church to recognize the extent of the scandal and compensate thousands of people affected.

Barbara Blaine, president and founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said she was abused herself and the organization was created through her efforts to reach out to other victims, the Chicago Tribune reported ( http://trib.in/2jMvDzJ ).

"I knew there were other survivors out there and wondered if they felt the same debilitating hurt and if so, how they coped with it. I thought they might hold the wisdom I lacked. I looked for other survivors and asked if they would be willing to talk," Blaine said in a statement.

Blaine did not say why she resigned. She and several other top SNAP officials were sued last month by a former employee who says she was fired shortly after asking superiors whether SNAP was referring potential clients to attorneys in return for donations.

Nothing New

I had to laugh when I was reading the jungle.  Tim Rohr and the entire jungle are in an uproar over a little "invitation to joy" announcement.  This is something that we have been doing every year.  So, it is nothing new. Invitations were distributed, and it is the choice of the people to attend the catechesis or not.  According to Tim Rohr:

There is a tremendous amount of unnecessary confusion in our diocese right now. And there is only one man who can straighten it out: Archbishop Byrnes. Rather than firing away on the blog on what things look like, call the chancery and ask to speak with Archbishop Byrnes. It's time to STOP depending on the CCOG, the LFM, JungleWatch, etc. to do the work for you. Call the Chancery and get an answer. And if you don't get an answer, then KEEP CALLING. Tel: 671-472-6116

Now, this is an exaggeration.  There is no unnecessary confusion in our diocese. The confusion is only in the Junglewatch Nation.  :-)  I am not confused. The NCW is not confused.  The priests are not confused. And many parishioners are not confused.  Only the Junglewatch Nation is confused, and they do not represent the entire diocese.  Because the NCW has been doing this every year, why the confusion? :-) 

Could It Be?

I do not know if anyone has noticed that Tim Rohr has been negligent a couple of times in his grammar and spelling.  He is always fussy about it and would even put down people with grammatical and spelling errors.  At any rate, here is one of Tim's comments in the jungle, which you can find here.  Notice the spelling error in his comment?  Of course, once Tim notices the misspelling, he would correct it because he has a strict behavior about grammar and spelling.  Nevertheless, we know for certain that this comment came from Tim, despite that he incorrectly spelled the word "tell."   

TimJanuary 23, 2017 at 7:38 PM

Well then tell Tony to come out of hiding and telli those victims to their faces that he did not do what they are accusing him of. Nothing is stopping him from doing so. And while you're at it, come out of hiding yourself.

Interestingly enough, a comment came through MY blog by an anonymous poster, which you can find here.  According to that anonymous poster:

AnonymousJanuary 25, 2017 at 5:09 AM

Well then tell Tony to come out of hiding and tell those victims to their faces that he did not do what they are accusing him of. Nothing is stopping him from doing so. And while you're at it, come out of hiding yourself.

Now.....is this not odd?????  The anonymous poster corrected the misspelling, which is something Tim Rohr would have done the moment he notices the error. By the way, I took screen shots of both comments in case Tim decides to erase his comment in his blog.      

My Take On Byrnes Interview

My assumption was correct....Archbishop Byrnes was not walking the picket line. In the interview, he said that he came out to say hello and greet the people with the signs and then he went inside.  That was his intention. Bob Klitzkie, Andrew Camacho, and Gerald Taitano were incorrect in their assumption.  Andrew and Gerald may have been there, but they misinterpreted Archbishop Byrnes' action. To walk with them is the same thing as to protest, and that was not the intention of Archbishop Byrnes.  So, the jungle was wrong about Archbishop Byrnes walking the picket line.  He was not there to walk with them nor to protest with them, but to greet them and get to know them.  The jungle was also wrong about the canonical trial.  They said the trial did not exist. Archbishop Byrnes confirmed that the trial exits, and he is 100% certain of it.   

From the interview, I also see that he is still learning things and processing them. Obviously, he has learned a few things about the RM Seminary.  He stated that RMS is unique.  The seminarians in RMS are from the Neocatechumenal Way.  The fact that these seminarians came from the NCW would only provoke positive impressions on Archbishop Byrnes with the NCW in that we inspire vocations. 

He also pointed out that some of the priests felt neglected because Archbishop Apuron was in the Way and tend to favor the RMS priests more.  In all fairness to Archbishop Apuron, I see it differently.  Before the Way was on Guam, Archbishop Apuron had always been present in all the parish fiestas and confirmations.  He visited the parishes and schools. At that time, none of the priests had any conflict with him nor did they felt neglected.  After the Neocatechumenal Way came to Guam, Archbishop Apuron did not change his routine habit.  He continued to visit the parishes and schools.  He continued to attend the parish fiestas and confirmations.  So, his routine did not change at all.  It was the same as usual.  What changed was the attitude of some of the priests.  

They saw a "change" in Archbishop Apuron.  They saw that he was happy and full of joy after being a member of the NCW, and they wanted to take that joy away from him.  They perceived that he was spending too much time with the RMS priests; therefore, they did not want him to be a member of the NCW.  So, in all fairness to Archbishop Apuron......he treated the priests the same way as he always did regardless of whether the NCW was there or not. His routine of attending parish fiestas and confirmation never changed. 

The priests who suddenly felt neglected blamed Archbishop Apuron for their feelings of neglect. Sometimes, one needs to look deeper into one's heart to discover that the real cause is not the other person but oneself.  What they really wanted was what the RMS priests have.  Envy and jealousy are sins, and all sins cause division. 
   

Jackie Terlaje Represents Archbishop Apuron

According to news report Jackie Terlaje will appear in court on behalf of Archbishop Apuron while the canonical trial is going on in Rome.  We do not know how long the canonical trial would be.  Perhaps, it is best to continue with the civil lawsuit while the canonical trial is ongoing.  The Archdiocese is still looking at challenging the law.  According to PNC news:  

Guam - It looks like Archbishop Anthony Apuron will continue to remain out of the public eye for sometime. His attorney, Jacque Terlaje, has agreed to receive a waiver of summons. 

What this means is that Attorney Terlaje will appear on the archbishop’s behalf whenever he is summoned to court for any of the hearings scheduled in court on the cases where he is named as a defendant. 

Those cases, filed by at least four individuals, involve allegations of sexual abuse from decades ago. Archbishop Apuron’s whereabouts were unknown until recently when he was discovered at a residence in California. 

Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Agana, which is also a named defendant in the same cases, is waiting on a decision from Judge Arthur Barcinas on a request to extend the time for the church to file a response to the lawsuits.

The archdiocese's legal counsel, Attorney John Terlaje, noted in court today that he was under the impression that the issue would have been rendered moot because most of the cases have already been taken to federal court. 

Also, in another news report, a priest from the U.S. contacted three alleged victims who accused Archbishop Apuron of sexual molestation for a depositions. However, their attorney David Lujan refused to have his clients take the interview.  Their refusal could hold up the canonical trial even longer.  

Pope Francis' Teaching On Marriage

Some may wonder about Pope Francis' teaching on marriage in view of the dubbia emanating from Amoris Laetitia.

I encourage you to read in its entirety the speech given by Pope Francis here in Rome this past Saturday to the Sacred Rota, an abridged version in English of which I have appended below with the full Italian script following.
Apart from indicating with clarity the Holy Father's total adhesion to the Church's Tradition and Magisterium, it indicates his response to the current crisis in marriage: a "new catechumenate" (which "should become an integral part of all the sacramental preparation of marriage"), both before and after, allowing for a "gradual maturation in faith, through the announcement of the Word of God ..." and given not only by the priest but a "timely synergy of priests and couples."

Some of these elements will sound familiar ...

"Today I would like to return to the theme of the relationship between faith and marriage, in particular on the prospects of faith inherent in the human and cultural context in which the matrimonial institution is formed. St. John Paul II showed, based on the teaching of the Sacred Scripture, “how deeply related are the knowledge conferred by faith and the knowledge conferred by reason. … What is distinctive in the biblical text is the conviction that there is a profound and indissoluble unity between the knowledge of reason and the knowledge of faith” (Encyclical Fides et ratio, 16). Therefore, the farther one drifts from the perspective of faith, the more “the human being runs the risk of failure and ends up in the condition of ‘the fool’”’. For the Bible, in this foolishness, a threat to life is inherent. “The fool thinks that he knows many things, but really he is incapable of fixing his gaze on the things that truly matter. Therefore he can neither order his mind nor assume a correct attitude to himself or to the world around him. And so when he claims that ‘God does not exist’, he shows with absolute clarity just how deficient his knowledge is and just how far he is from the full truth of things, their origin and their destiny”.

For his part, Pope Benedict XVI, in his final address to you, recalled that “It is only in opening oneself to God’s truth … that it is possible to understand and achieve in the concrete reality of both conjugal and family life the truth of men and women as his children, regenerated by Baptism. … The rejection of the divine proposal, in fact, leads to a profound imbalance in all human relations … including matrimonial relations” (26 January 2013). It is more necessary than ever to delve in to the relationship between love and truth. “Love requires truth. Only to the extent that love is grounded in truth can it endure over time, can it transcend the passing moment and be sufficiently solid to sustain a shared journey. If love is not tied to truth, it falls prey to fickle emotions and cannot stand the test of time. True love, on the other hand, unifies all the elements of our person and becomes a new light pointing the way to a great and fulfilled life. Without truth, love is incapable of establishing a firm bond; it cannot liberate our isolated ego or redeem it from the fleeting moment in order to create life and bear fruit”.

I cannot conceal from you that a widespread mentality tends to obscure access to eternal truths. A mentality that involves, often in a vast and capillary fashion, the attitudes and behaviour of Christians themselves, whose faith is weakened and loses the originality of its interpretative and working criteria for personal, family and social existence. Such a context, lacking in religious values and faith, cannot but condition matrimonial consent. The experience of faith of those who require Christian marriage are very diverse. Some participate actively in the life of the parish; others encounter it for the first time; others have an intense life of prayer; and others are, instead, guided by a more generic religious feeling; at times they are people far from faith or lacking in faith.

Faced with this situation, it is necessary to find valid remedies. I indicate a first remedy in the formation of the young through an adequate process of preparation aimed at rediscovering marriage and the family according to God’s plan. It means helping future spouses to grasp and savour the grace, beauty and joy of true love, saved and redeemed by Jesus. The Christian community to which engaged couples turn is called to announce cordially the Gospel to these people, so that their experience of love may become a sacrament, an effective sign of salvation. In this circumstance, the redeeming mission of Jesus reaches man and women in the concrete domain of their love life. This moment becomes, for all the community, an extraordinary occasion for mission. Today more than ever, this preparation is presented as a real opportunity for the evangelisation of adults and, often, for those who have drifted away. Indeed, there are many young people for whom the proximity of marriage constitutes the opportunity to encounter anew the faith long relegated to the margins of their lives; moreover, they are at a particular moment in their lives, often characterised by the willingness to review and change the orientation of their existence. It may be, therefore, a favourable time to renew their encounter with the figure of Jesus Christ, with the message of the Gospel and the doctrine of the Church.

Therefore, workers and entities engaged in family pastoral care must be inspired by a strong concern to make paths for preparation for the sacrament of marriage increasingly effective, not only for human growth but above all for the faith of engaged couples. A fundamental aim of these meetings is that of helping engaged couples to achieve a gradual integration into the mystery of Christ, in the Church and with the Church. This requires a gradual maturation in faith, through the announcement of the Word of God, joining and generously following Christ. The objective of this preparation thus consists in helping engaged couples to know and experience the reality of the marriage they intend to celebrate, so that they can do so not only in a valid and legitimate way, but also fruitfully, and so that they may be available to make this celebration a phase in their journey of faith. To achieve all this, there is a need for people with specific skill, suitably prepared for this service, in a timely synergy between priests and couples.

In this spirit, I must repeat the need for a “new catechumenate” in preparation for marriage. Welcoming the hopes expressed by the Fathers during the last Ordinary Synod, it is urgent to implement practically what was proposed in Familiaris Consortio (No. 66), that is, just as for the baptism of adults the catechumenate is part of the sacramental process, also the preparation for marriage should become an integral part of all the sacramental procedure of marriage, as an antidote that prevents the proliferation of null or inconsistent marriage celebrations.

A second remedy is that of helping newly-weds to follow the path of faith and in the Church also after the celebration of marriage. It is necessary to identify, with courage and creativity, a project of formation for young couples, with initiatives aimed at a growing awareness of the sacrament received. This involves encouraging them to consider the various aspects of their daily life as a couple, which is a sign and instrument of God’s love, incarnate in the story of man. Let me give two examples. First and foremost, the love in which the new family lives has its roots and ultimate wellspring in the mystery of the Trinity, for which it bears this seal despite the hardships and poverties it must be measured against in daily life. Another example: the love story of the Christian couple is part of sacred history, as God abides in it, and because God never fails in the commitment He makes with couples on their wedding day. Indeed, He “remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself”.

The Christian community is called to welcome, accompany and help young couples, offering them suitable opportunities and tools – starting with participation in Sunday Mass - to care for their spiritual life both within family life and in the realm of pastoral planning in the parish or in groups. Often young couples are left to their own devices, perhaps for the simple fact of being seen less in the parish. This happens in particular with the birth of children. But it is precisely in those first moments of family life that there is a need to guarantee greater closeness and strong spiritual support, also in the work of educating their children, for whom they are the first witnesses and bearers of the gift of faith. In the path of the human and spiritual growth of newly-weds, it is to be hope that there are groups of reference in which they are able to undertake a process of continuing formation: by listening to the Word, discussion on themes relating to family life, prayer and fraternal sharing.

These two remedies that I have indicated are aimed at favouring a suitable context of faith in which to celebrate and live marriage. Such a crucial aspect for the solidity and truth of the marriage sacrament requires parish priests to be increasingly aware of the delicate task entrusted to them in managing the sacramental path of future spouses, making the synergy between foedus and fides more intelligible and real in them. This means passing from a strictly legal and formal vision in the preparation of future spouses, to an ab initio sacramental foundation, that is, starting from the process towards the fullness of their foedus-consent elevated by Christ to sacrament. This will demand a generous contribution from adult Christians, men and women, who assist the priest in his family pastoral ministry to construct the “masterpiece of society, the family, the man and women who love each other … God’s luminous plan” (homily at Vespers on the eve of the opening if the Ordinary Synod, 3 October 2015).

May the Holy Spirit, Who always guides the holy People of God in everything, assist and support those, priests and laypeople, who are and will be occupied in this field, so that they never lose the zeal and courage to work for the beauty of Christian families, despite the ruinous pitfalls of the dominant culture of the ephemeral and the provisional.

Dear brothers, as I have said to you many times, it takes great courage to marry in the times in which we live. And those who have the strength and the joy to take this important step must feel the affection and the concrete closeness of the Church next to them. With this hope, I renew my wishes for your good work in this new year that the Lord gives us. I assure you of my prayer and also count on yours, and I impart to you my heartfelt apostolic blessing." 

Post From Alexander Chen

The following is a comment from Alexander Chen.  It was posted in the Guam Daily Post:

Alexander Chen · 

Northeastern University

The impartial smearing campaign levied the media in Guam (led by Tim Rohr) on Archbishop Apuron has been unprecedented, unjust and perverse, especially given that no empirical or direct evidence of any kind showed that Bishop Apuron was indeed guilty of any of the ‘alleged’ accusations. What Apuron has had to endure throughout this ordeal has been, in my opinion, as far removed from due process as you could ever expect in an American territory. Mr. Rohr is proud to wipe his hands and to justify all his vitriolic vulgar hate on the sole ‘opinion’ of a civil servant.

From day one, I have believed in Apuron and given him my unwavering support in his pursuit to rightfully clear his name of any wrongdoing. That support extends throughout the Church as it ought to be and has only grown more steadfast as the vitriolic attacks have become more vulgar and puerile in tone. Signs which indicate, to me, a personal vendetta or misguided hatred towards the person of Apuron than from good will.

This entire process of demonization of Apuron has indelibly taken a toll on the Catholic Church in Guam, the faithful and most importantly, Bishop Apuron. The Bishop’s embrace of exile from the land where his family reside, where he grew up, where God called Him to follow Him, his decision to pursue a ‘fair and unbiased’ trial at the Vatican while at the same time not to pursue further actions in Guam against his invested enemies, is what Apuron feels is best for the faithful in Guam and the entire Church.

To devoted Catholics of Guam, their unwavering support for Apuron and the Church have only reinforced our longstanding belief that, as Christians, we are called to condemn all kind of injustice and that we treat all victims with equal credibility and await with patience the justice, not from our own hands, but from the Lord. Together, we will continue to unequivocally support Apuron and the Catholic Church and its process against the forces of hatred and greed that are the usual suspect when you hear the stirrings of dissent and division and I know that faithful Christians will rally around Apuron and the rest of the Church as never before.

As for the enemies of the Church... we pray... "Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do."