The Cost Of Standing With The Persecutors

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.
  
-Martin Niemoller

Father Jeff San Nicolas was one of the priests who stood together with the Junglewatch Nation.  He led a group of LFM ladies to tour RMS and to view certain documents.  However, he and LFM were refused entry into the seminary.  Father Jeff then called a press conference in which he criticized the NCW.  You can read about it in the Pacific Daily News.  LFM is a group under the Junglewatch Nation and their visit to the seminary came with malicious intent, which is the reason why they were refused entry into the seminary.

Father Jeff also released a biased report against the seminary without even providing a copy of that report to the seminary nor the opportunity to discuss with them what was on the report.  Dr. Ric Eusebio responded to that bias report, and his responses can be found here, here, and here.    

Today, Father Jeff has become a target by the jungle. The Junglewatch Nation is now starting to rally their forces against Father Jeff and possibly against other local priests.  According to Frenchie who posted in the jungle dated February 12, 2018 (the bold is mine):

Tim, myself and several others pointed out that thirty years of corruption, poor management and a lack of involvement by the local clergy, were at the root of the crisis we were finding ourselves into.

Therefore we surmised that the challenge we were facing would be huge and would need the participation of many of the people that had done nothing prior to this........

As we had reluctantly guessed, many of the major hurdles  facing our reconstruction phase, are none of the above, but rather certain actors within the Chancery, and at the parishes level, who have put their personal interest and career path ahead of the well being of the Archdiocese. 

This is a target against certain local priests.  Whoever they are, they were not named. Frenchie then goes on to target Father Jeff:  

In fact many wondered why Archbishop Hon had selected someone like Jeff to fulfill such an important role. Many even wonder why Archbishop Byrnes has not yet handled the bull by the horns, and give Jeff a mission more in tune with his limited capacities, and not lead him into the temptation of power, which obviously he has an unsurmountable attraction for............

 People in general like Jeff, his wide smile is communicative, but behind that smile there is an ambitious career priest, who is way over his head as the delegate to the Archbishop. He is becoming vindictive, bossy and is not giving the knowledge necessary for Abp Byrnes to take difficult decisions............

It is time, Jeff  becomes a priest, rather than a career politician. If things are not happening soon to correct this wrong, Jeff will undoubtely become a new Cristobal, and the Archdiocese will suffer because of it.

Frenchie compared Father Jeff to Father Adrian, and we all know how the jungle treated Father Adrian. It appears that the Junglewatch Nation has become both a law-enforcer and the authority to reorganize the Archdiocese of Agana.  Who does the jungle want to replace Father Jeff with?  Who do they really want as their Bishop of Agana?  We already know from David Lujan (an uncle of Monsignor James) that he was not thrilled to hear that Archbishop Byrnes was chosen to be the Coadjutor Archbishop of Agana.  According to news report:

“I wonder about the prudence of Rome when I heard about this. It goes to show that the people that are advising Pope Francis just have absolutely no idea about Guam,” said Attorney David Lujan. 

Lujan is representing alleged victims of clergy sex abuse including those filing lawsuits against the church and Archbishop Anthony Apuron. 

“I think it’s offensive that Rome selects someone from Detroit of all places, and a white person at that, to send that person to Guam, really, to sort of shepherd us when we got numerous brown priests that were born here, that grew up here, that know the people of Guam and are part of the people of Guam, whether they’re Chamorros or Filipinos…” 

“We have more than enough qualified leadership in the local clergy who Rome should have contemplated. So that’s my reaction to this coadjutor. I can’t wait to see him served,” Lujan said. 

Martin Luther King Jr. never stood on the side of the persecutors.  As a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, he always stood beside his brothers who were persecuted.  He was persecuted along with them.  The question is what about our leader and the rest of our local clergy? You have already seen the cost of standing with the persecutors.  They ended up targeting you next.