My Input on the Article of Vatican Insider

Once again, the Guam Daily Post was the only Guam newspaper who picked up the story published by the Vatican Insider.  The story of the Guam Daily Post can be found here.  While the Guam Daily Post does not do any investigative work but simply reports the news, at least they were able to point to the Vatican Insider so that the people of Guam can hear Archbishop Apuron's side of the story. There are a few things I would like to address regarding the latest article of the Vatican Insider.  Some of those points are things I highlighted in the article.  

First of all, I would like to address the "wheelchair", which apparently Rohr is using to discredit the story.  Anyone who has dealt with handicap people know that wheelchairs are not only for those who are unable to stand or walk. It is also used for people who are able to walk but not for long distances.  Archbishop Apuron arrived in a wheelchair because he is unable to walk long distances due to his latest surgery. He was able to stand to meet the pope because that does not require him walking long distances.  

Secondly, in order for Archbishop Byrnes to sell the seminary, he would need the approval of the Presbyteral Council, the Finance Council, and the Holy See.  Obviously, he is able to get the approval of the two councils since most of its members consist of the Junglewatch Nation.  The article, however, pointed out that the Holy See was not interested in seeing the property being sold.  According to the article in Vatican Insider: 

In his letter, the prefect of Propaganda Fide reminded Byrnes of the Church’s interest in not selling the property and the prohibition placed on alienating the property based on previously stipulated conditions. 

In the third place, was Archbishop Byrnes made aware that other diocese in the Pacific region had announced plans to send their seminarians to Guam and therefore increase the enrollment of the seminary to 80?  Was he aware of this information before he went public to the media and announce that the seminary was "unsustainable?" 

In his blog, Rohr questioned why many diocese in the Pacific would send their seminarians to Guam rather than to Fiji.  The answer is very simple.  Archbishop Byrnes even admitted it in the Pacific News Center.  He stated, "“Well what I have to do is look at the statutes for the RMS seminary, because they are unique,”  Archbishop Byrnes was correct when he made this statement.  RMS is unique than other seminaries that many dioceses in the Pacific planned to send their seminarians to Guam rather than to Fiji.  According to NBC news:

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 Redemptoris Mater seminaries were examples worth following. 

A final thing that caught my attention was the following information reported by Vatican Insider: 

During a general audience in October 2017 in St. Peter’s Square, a canonical recourse signed by approximately 25 priests, lawyers, and other prominent figures from Guam was hand-delivered to the Pope. The signers appealed to the Pope to personally intervene regarding Byrnes’ decision, which, it read, “has inflicted a spiritual, moral and physical harm upon the faithful of Guam as a result of his actions without respect for canon law.” The appeal --multiple sources report-- is currently under review by some dicasteries of the Curia.  

There were 25 priests who signed a canonical recourse?  Obviously, Archbishop Byrnes was not very successful in bringing unity to his priests.  Healing and reparation starts with the clergy.  If there is no unity in the clergy, how does one expect to have unity in the congregation?  As I said before, if the priests have stood together as one with Monsignor David against CCOG who demanded his removal, it will send a strong message and a lesson of unity to the Catholic faithful.  But that did not happen.  Instead, some chose to be on the persecutors' side.