The Rule Of Law Vs. Mob Justice

Over 200 years ago, George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and other framers of the U.S. Constitution dedicated themselves to constructing a just government for the American people.  Americans had just overthrown what they deemed a tyrannous British government and set out to create a national government free of tyranny.  They established a government by the rule of law.    

According to the English-Oxford Dictionary, "Mob rule" is defined as "Control of a political situation by those outside the conventional or lawful realm, typically involving violence and intimidation."  Mob justice is also an abuse of democracy in that the mob metes out justice without a trial by jury.  Without a trial in an official court of law, it becomes easy to hurt or persecute a person without proof of their guilt. 

The 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution protect us from the public's "opinions" and force us to rely upon actual facts, substantial evidence, testimony, and documentations as well as lawful procedures.  We are entitled to think whatever we want, no matter how misinformed, but we cannot "convict" "lock up" or "persecute" anyone just because we do not like them.  Demanding that a bishop be defrocked based on your opinion and without due process is mob rule.  

Archbishop Apuron is already going through a canonical trial.  In time, we will know the results of that trial. If found guilty, his title as Archbishop of Agana will be removed and Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes will automatically assume the role of Archbishop of Agana. On the other hand, if found not guilty, Archbishop Apuron can return as Archbishop of Agana because his title was never taken away from him.  It will be the Pope to decide, not the jungle.   

There has been no ruling from the canonical trial yet.  Nevertheless, the jungle already made plans to go against the ruling of the canonical trial if the ruling is not in their favor.  You would think that the jungle would at least be curious to know what the Vatican discovered to exonerate him.  

Rohr's post gives a hint of intimidation or threat.  It is already known that the Archbishop's tires had been slashed twice by an unknown person/persons before the sexual allegations emerged in 2016.  The person/persons responsible for slashing the tires of Archbishop Apuron's car was never caught. So, one wonders what does Tim meant when he stated: "...and see what Apuron gets when he gets back here."  One wonders, what exactly would that be? Another tire slashing? According to Tim Rohr (the bold is mine): 

In any event, what we MUST be prepared for is OUR responsibility, not Rome's. If anything, this whole drama has forced at least some of us to grow up and stop looking to outsiders to solve our problems. Nothing has made me angrier than hearing people ask "when is Rome going to do something?" It makes me angry because all of this came about NOT because Rome did anything, but because a few people DID decide to do something and then they did it.  

We CANNOT lose sight of that. A worst case scenario would be Apuron being exonerated and sent back to run the Archdiocese of Agana. Our attitude should be "go ahead...and see what Apuron gets when he gets back here."  

Not even the pope gets to decide what is good for you and your family. The pope's only absolute competence - by virtue of his office - is limited to the absolutes of faith and morals. And he loses even that competence should he ever venture to officially depart from what has been handed down from the apostles.  

His Apuron decision is an administrative one, and completely fallible. He does NOT get to decide what is good for you and your family. Our first duty is to the children God has entrusted to us, and we have already seen what happens when we neglect that duty and entrust them to the likes of Apuron.   

In the 1950s,  when the federal courts began striking down the Jim Crow laws in the South, one of the rising demands across the country was that the discriminators and segregationists obey "the law of the land."  But somewhere along the way, the idea also arose and spread that not everyone was supposed to obey the "law of the land".  Thus, began the issue of settling things on the streets rather than in the courts.

As Catholics, we are taught to always follow the Pope.  Yet, along the way, comes the jungle telling the junglefolks that they do not need to follow Rome. Jesus established that the Apostle Peter and his successors be the Vicar of Christ, God's representative (CCC 936).   All should be in communion with the Pope.  All should follow and be in communion with Rome.  This is the "rule of law" set down by God Himself through His Church (CCC 834).