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.