Canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero

Archbishop Oscar Romero from El Salvador was shot dead while he was celebrating Mass in 1980.  Less that two years after he was elected Pope, Francis placed Archbishop Romero on the sainthood track, formally decreeing in February 2015 that the Archbishop was assassinated as a martyr for the Catholic faith.  He later received beatification in May of that same year. 

Archbishop Romero consistently spoke out against violence.  According to news report:

Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the postulator, or official promoter, of Romero's cause has called the archbishop "a martyr of the church of the Second Vatican Council." In a February 2015 talk, he said Romero "chose to live with the poor to defend them from oppression."

Theologians and experts who knew Romero or have studied his life deeply said that by setting up the prelate's canonization Francis is essentially putting forward a model for how to be a bishop. 

Julian Filochowski, the chair of the UK-based Archbishop Romero Trust, said the pope is setting up an icon that other bishops can look to in determining how to go about their ministry. 

"If you set up an icon, then that's what it is," said Filochowski, who knew Romero and helped draw global attention to the situation in El Salvador during the prelate's life. "It's someone you've got affection for, you've got admiration for, you've got pride in, and you're trying to follow and live."

"He not only talked the talk, he walked the walk," the trust director said of Romero. "That's what it's very difficult to find in bishops today. Romero stands there as icon." 

Recently, Pope Francis has decreed that Archbishop Romero was responsible for help in the healing of Cecilia Maribel Flores, who was facing near-certain death towards the end of a difficult pregnancy before praying to the late Archbishop for his intercession. 

Who is Cecilla Maribel Flores?  She is a member of the Neocatechumenal Way. She had a problem with her latest pregnancy.  After giving birth to her child, she was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, a life-threatening condition.  Doctors had determined that she was going to die. Her husband prayed an intercession prayer to the late Archbishop Romero to help his wife.  As he prayed to the late Archbishop, 40 members of the Neocatechumenal Way community of which Celicia belonged to also prayed the exact same prayer.  Imagine that !!!  The NCW community prayed the exact same prayer.  According to news report:

Rosa Chavez recounted reports of how the husband went home to pray, opened a Bible his grandmother had given him, saw a card with Blessed Romero’s image in it, and even though he’d had an “aversion” to his grandmother’s prayers to the slain Salvadoran archbishop, he prayed for his intercession.

Though Cecilia had slipped into a coma, she awoke Sept. 10 and made a full recovery, the newspaper said.

“The case of this woman is really amazing,” Rosa Chavez told Angelus News. “I was able to spend a few hours with her family.”

He said that as the husband prayed to Romero, about 40 members of the Neocatechumenal Way community to which Celicia belonged “began to pray this same prayer.”

The doctors had no solution for her case and “the best they could do was induce her into a coma, to give her body as much rest as possible,” the cardinal said. “All of a sudden, this woman begins to react, and the doctors don’t know what’s going on. These doctors kept a very detailed record of her condition during this time - something like a thousand pages - which were sent to Rome along with all the tests they performed on her.

Changing Stories

As you already know, Tim Rohr stated in his blog dated March 21, 2018 (the bold is mine): 

Let's make this very clear. An appeal is not an appeal when it is filed. An appeal is an appeal when the appellate court agrees to hear it. 

Today, Rohr has stated that there is no appeal and therefore, Archbishop Apuron is no longer the Archbishop of Agana.  He believes that title now belongs to the Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes.  However, this was never Rohr's initial belief when news of the verdict came out on March 16th.  According to news report dated March 16, 2018 (the bold is mine):

Tim Rohr, a member of the Catholic church on Guam who has been a longtime critic of Apuron, is one of the people who helped encourage Sondia and others to confront the archbishop. He said he’s also relieved by the verdict, but warns it’s not over yet.

“The sentence is suspended until the appeal is finalized,” Rohr said. “He is still Archbishop of Agana.”

Rohr made the above statement on March 16th, the day the verdict became public.  As I keep saying, Tim Rohr constantly changes his story.  

So, when did Rohr started to change his story????  It was on March 19th, the day that Coadjutor Archbishop Byrnes had his press conference with the media. On that same day before the press conference,  Rohr made it a point on his blog that Archbishop Apuron is referred as Bishop and that the Coadjutor Archbishop signed his name as "Archbishop of Agana" (See weblink here).  

Before the press conference, Rohr already knew ahead of time that the Coadjutor Archbishop had made up his mind to take the title for himself or was that a coincidence?  One has to wonder.  The Coadjutor Archbishop told news reporters that he ASSUMED that Archbishop Apuron is no longer the Archbishop of Agana.  According to news report (the bold is mine):

He said there had been no follow-up from the Vatican either as of March 17 and he assumed the former archbishop was now to be called Bishop Apuron, since losing the office of archbishop meant also losing the title associated with it.

“We’ll see with the appeal” what the final situation will be, he added.

Obviously, the Coadjutor Archbishop was fully aware that there was an appeals.  Since Archbishop Byrnes admitted that he had no follow-up from the Vatican, one then has to wonder why he made such an assumption especially when he was obviously aware of the appeal. Certainly, Archbishop Byrnes was not influenced by the Vatican who made no follow-up.  

Furthermore, the Vatican Press Release never mentioned Archbishop Byrnes.  In fact, the press release was never about him, but about the verdict.  So, the question is.......why assume that Archbishop Apuron no longer hold that title especially when that same Vatican Press Release clearly stated: In the case of an appeal, the imposed penalties are suspended until final resolution.  

Yes, it is interesting to note that Rohr's change of story came about the same time as Coadjutor Archbishop Byrnes' assumption. Rohr went further by stating that there was no appeal until the court agrees to hear it. However, the legal definition of appeal is:

1) v. to ask a higher court to reverse the decision of a trial court after final judgment or other legal ruling.

 2) n. the name for the process of appealing, as in "he has filed an appeal." 

And according to the Code of Canon Law on Appeals:

Can. 1630 §1. An appeal must be introduced before the judge who rendered the sentence within the peremptory period of fifteen useful days from the notice of the publication of the sentence. 

§2. If an appeal is made orally, the notary is to put it in writing in the presence of the appellant.

No where in canon law does it say that an appeal is an appeal when it is accepted by the court to hear it.  Therefore, Rohr did not get that idea of appeal from the code of canon law.  Nevertheless, the most important thing is that Tim Rohr changed his story, and this was not the first time he has done this.   

Do Not Judge, Do Not Condemn

A priest or bishop should never be condemned even if he falls for we all have fallen.  Rather, we should pray for them.  However, we can also correct them with charity if they are found to be in error for we all make mistakes.  

So, with that said let us look at the verdict released by the Vatican. According to the Vatican Press Release (the bold is mine)

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE APOSTOLIC TRIBUNAL OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH 

The canonical trial in the matter of accusations, including accusations of sexual abuse of minors, brought against the Most Reverend Anthony Sablan APURON, O.F.M.Cap., Archbishop of Agaña, Guam, has been concluded. 

The Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, composed of five judges, has issued its sentence of first instance, finding the accused guilty of certain of the accusations and imposing upon the accused the penalties of privation of office and prohibition of residence in the Archdiocese of Guam. The sentence remains subject to possible appeal. In the absence of an appeal, the sentence becomes final and effective. In the case of an appeal, the imposed penalties are suspended until final resolution. 

First of all, many thought that Archbishop Apuron was found guilty of child sexual abuse despite that the Vatican never stated what Archbishop Apuron was guilty of.  Sadly, even Coadjutor Archbishop Byrnes condemned Archbishop Apuron without knowing the full information of what those "certain accusations" were.  According to his press release to the media:

“I issue this public apology on behalf of the entire Archdiocese of Agana. Our Church is One Body in Christ, so we weep as one at the grave harm our family members have endured,” Byrnes said, reading a prepared statement at a press conference Monday. “Our Church is One Body in Christ, so we hang our heads in shame for the grave evil one member inflicted upon others, in this case the most vulnerable.” 

 "Our prayers for the victims of child abuse by Bishop Apuron and all victims of abuse here and worldwide continue; so shall our efforts to bring healing and restoration to all victims of clergy sexual abuse and to ensure this never happens again,"

In his press release to the media, Archbishop Byrnes mentioned "child abuse by Bishop Apuron" despite that the Vatican never released any information about the verdict. The proper thing to do is to pray for Archbishop Apuron, not condemn him especially during this season of Lent.  According to canon law made easy (the bold is mine):

Under the code of canon law, everyone - not just priests! - has a right to his reputation, and the right to privacy (c. 220).........

For that matter, even if Father X is subsequently proven guilty of the accusations, he still retains these rights under canon law (although the country where he committed the crime may have its own laws on this matter).  No ecclesiastical superior has the authority to make a public declaration that (for example) an internal investigation has found that Father X did indeed commit sexual abuse. Canonically. this is the very same law that would prohibit a superior from publicizing that Father X has cancer, or is an alcoholic, or is suicidal. No matter how horrible a monster Father X may actually be, church officials by law cannot publicly drag him through the mud. 

The Vatican press release implied that there were other accusations. The verdict mentioned "certain accusations" he was found guilty of but did not specify what those "certain accusations" were. The Vatican press release did not say how many accusations there were, but some supporters of Archbishop Apuron claimed there were six accusations.  According to news report:

Supporters of the archbishop, conversing anonymously with journalists, claimed the archbishop was found guilty on only two of six charges and that the sentence implies those charges were not the most serious ones. Generally, clerics found guilty of sexually abusing minors face either removal from the priesthood or are sentenced to a life of prayer and penance and banned from any public ministry.

Nevertheless, Archbishop Apuron was fully aware of which accusation he was found guilty of and the number of accusations against him.  In his press release through his civil lawyer Jacque Terlaje, Archbishop Apuron stated (the bold is mine): 

"While I am relieved that the tribunal dismissed the majority of the accusations against me, I have appealed the verdict. ... God is my witness; I am innocent and I look forward to proving my innocence in the appeals process." 

He was acquitted of a majority of the accusations. 

Archbishop Apuron is currently in the process of appealing the guilty verdict. In the meantime, we pray for him. As Mr. Ben Perez quoted in his letter to the PDN:

"One should never attack a priest, even when he's in error, rather one should pray and do penance that I'll grant him my grace again. He alone fully represents me, even when he doesn't live after my example!" (Feast of Christ the King 1937).

 Luke 6:37  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Pilgrimage Meeting

We finally had a pilgrimage meeting last night.  This is what we have been waiting for.  Everyone appeared excited and looking forward to the trip.  David told us that there will be six buses.  Each bus carries at least 50 passengers.  There are a lot of brothers going on this pilgrimage.  We will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way with Pope Francis.  We were also told to pack light......only one carry-on.  The oldest person on this pilgrimage is a 70 year old female.  Imagine that!  The Neocatechumenal Way even inspires the elderly to go on a pilgrimage.  

There were also many families on this pilgrimage.  Some are bringing their babies.  However, the policy in Rome is very different in America.  Children under 12 years old and certain weight and height are required to use a booster seat on the bus. David put all of us in a pilgrimage mood starting that night.  Our mentality should be focused on Christ.  If I am not mistaken, I believe I heard David say that there will be approximately 400,000 brothers in the NCW attending the 50th NCW anniversary in Rome. Because there are 300 of us, we will be coming to Rome in different flights and different times.    

Going on a pilgrimage brings inspiration from the Holy Spirit.  It makes us stronger so that we can do battle against the evil forces the next day.  We walk stronger in our faith because of the experience we will receive in this pilgrimage.  Our experience and witness will be a help for our brothers who were unable to attend this pilgrimage. Pilgrimages brings many graces.  The pilgrimage that ranks above all others is to walk in the footsteps of Christ.

1 Timothy 1:18-19. Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.

No Threat To Guam's Children

According to the CDF's press release (the bold is mine): 

The Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, composed of five judges, has issued its sentence of first instance, finding the accused guilty of certain of the accusations and imposing upon the accused the penalties of privation of office and prohibition of residence in the Archdiocese of Guam.

When news of the verdict came in, the first one to pounce on it was the jungle. They immediately set out to convince the Catholic faithful and Coadjutor Archbishop Byrnes that Archbishop Apuron was found guilty of child sexual abuse when in truth....the press release never said what he was found guilty of.  The Vatican did not reveal the charges of which Archbishop Apuron was found guilty of. 

It is also the jungle spreading the rumor that Archbishop Apuron was exiled from Guam.  According to Tim Rohr:

[Wow! "an unusually light sanction." Ummm. IT WAS BANISHMENT AND EXILE FOR LIFE, not to mention the first EVER archbishop to be removed from his diocese by a trial!]

Rohr also claimed that Archbishop Apuron cannot touch Guam's children due to this so-called exile.  See the weblink here.

However, as one astute poster pointed out, the sentence never exiled or banished Archbishop Apuron from Guam.  He was banned from residing in Guam:  "prohibition of residence."  According to the Anonymous poster:

AnonymousMarch 24, 2018 at 6:32 AM 

From a literal reading of the CDF release, the sentence doesn't even prohibit him from returning to Guam. He is banned from RESIDING in Guam, but nothing explicitly prohibits him from stepping foot on the island. 

Again, this suggests that the tribunal either a) didn't find him guilty of sex abuse or b) isn't very convinced of his guilt. 

This sentence accomplishes what Apuron's political enemies wanted, but little more than that. 

The sentence banned Archbishop Apuron from returning to his homeland as a resident.  But there is nothing in that sentence saying that he cannot travel to Guam as a visitor.  As I previously said, if he was guilty of child sexual abuse, the sentence did not ban him from contact with children, including Guam's children.  

Everything else that Rohr stated is simply a change in story.  He can claim all he wants that the first mention of a canonical trial was in January 2017 by the Vatican.  We already know the truth.  History shows that the FIRST mention of a canonical trial came from Archbishop Apuron, not the Vatican.  The Archbishop mentioned a canonical trial three times (See the weblink here). 

Comments That Are Not Published

To the junglefolks, by now you should already know that I am no longer publishing your comments due to the fact that you are not here to dialogue or learn about the NCW.  Your mind is already made up, and this blog will not be used to promote your agendas and propaganda.  You can make those comments in the other blog.  

I also see that Rohr is once again trying to twist the English and Italian translation.  No matter how he twists it, this is what EVERYONE should remember:  The PENALTY imposed on Archbishop Apuron did not keep him from being in contact with children.  

Father Brouillard was sentenced to a life of prayer.  This sentence kept him in isolation where he cannot be in contact with children.  Archbishop Apuron, on the other hand, never received such sentence.  The CDF removed his title and banned him from returning to Guam.  In other words, the sentence given to Archbishop Apuron is a sentence which the jungle lobbied for in their protests. The CDF never banned him from being in contact with children. This simple FACT alone says EVERYTHING.  As I said in my last post, if he was found guilty of child sexual abuse, then why didn't the Vatican tell him to stay away from children?  Why not give him a life of prayer, which will keep him away from children?  Rohr can twist the English and Italian translation all he wants, but he cannot dispute the FACT that the Vatican never told Archbishop Apuron to stay away from children.  

Also, remember that it was Rohr who stated that there was no canonical trial and no appeal.  His statements are in contradiction to the facts I had already laid out in my previous post.  Remember that it was Archbishop Apuron who said he pursued a canonical trial and already filed an appeal.  And so far, the FACTS all point to the truth found in Archbishop Apuron's statements....that there was a canonical trial and an appeal.    

The Appeal Was Approved

These are FACTUAL DATA that can be verified.  According to Tim Rohr:

Let's make this very clear. An appeal is not an appeal when it is filed. An appeal is an appeal when the appellate court agrees to hear it. Said court may also refuse to hear it. In either case, just as with the sentence, the Vatican will announce it via the same sort of Bulletin.

First of all, this is the same man who manipulated people into believing that there was no canonical trial.  In his blog, Rohr wrote:

TimDecember 26, 2016 at 7:44 AM 

He's in the area. I have "hard copy" evidence. He's not in Rome defending himself at his canonical trial because there's isn't one.

The only who said that there was a canonical trial was Archbishop Apuron.  Today, Rohr is saying that there is no appeal. He believes that the Vatican must publish that there is an appeal.  Did the Vatican ever publish that there was a canonical trial? Today, we know for a FACT that there was a canonical trial.  Today, we know for a FACT that Rohr was incorrect when he said there was no canonical trial.  The evidence and facts presented speaks for itself. 

Today, Rohr says that there is no appeal because the CDF did not accept it; yet, he showed absolutely no evidence that the CDF did not accept it.  It is the same with the canonical trial.  He said there was no canonical trial; yet, he showed no evidence that there was no canonical trial.  Rather, he called Archbishop Apuron a liar.  Today, we now know that there was a canonical trial, and this truth came from Archbishop Apuron.  While Rohr continues to say that there is no appeal, this is what the CDF stated according to Catholic News Agency:

Until appeals are resolved, “the imposed penalties are suspended until the final resolution” of the trial, according to the CDF.    

Until appeals are resolved, the imposed penalties are suspended....ACCORDING TO THE CDF.  The CDF says the sentence is suspended and Rohr says that it is not suspended.  So, who should you believe????  The answer should have been obvious.  Again the truth was found with Archbishop Apuron who stated that he had already filed an appeal.  

This news report came in on Friday, March 16th.  Coadjutor Archbishop Byrnes addressed the media on Monday, March 19th and declared himself Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Agana three days after the CDF already stated that the imposed penalties are suspended until the final resolution of the trial. Again, the evidence and facts presented speaks for itself. 

Furthermore, Rohr stated in his blog (Capitalization and bold is mine):

 "The canonical process in relation to the accusations, INCLUDING those of child sexual abuse, charged against the Reverend Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap., Archbishop of Agaña, Guam, has concluded." The Italian translation leaves no question as to what Apuron was tried for and found guilty of.]

Rohr deliberately misinterpreted the translation.  The word "including" is used to include the child sexual abuse charges.  This means that there were other charges.  "The canonical process in relation to the accusations, INCLUDING those of child abuse...."  The Vatican never stated what the charges were that Archbishop Apuron was found guilty of and of which he is now in appeals.  

If the guilty charges were child sexual abuse, then why didn't the Vatican tell Archbishop Apuron to stay away from children??????  Why a much lesser sentence?  As the article pointed out, if the guilty charge was child sexual abuse, it did not match the sentence.  

And Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes judged Archbishop Apuron guilty of child sex abuse without actually knowing what he was found guilty of.  Because the Vatican never publicized the charges he was found guilty of, the Coadjutor Bishop should have refrained from judging a brother bishop. Instead, he should have turned to Jesus Christ who said, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged."

A Lust For Power

The Vatican press release stated (The bold is mine):

“The sentence remains subject to possible appeal. In the absence of an appeal, the sentence becomes final and effective. In the case of an appeal, the imposed penalties are suspended until final resolution.”

 According to news report, Archbishop Apuron had already filed an appeal once he learned of the verdict. The Code of Canon Law on Appeals was pointed out by an anonymous poster.  According to the Code of Canon Law:

Can.  1638 An appeal suspends the execution of the  sentence.

And what did Coadjutor Archbishop Byrnes have to say about this?  

Apuron is now being addressed as "bishop," since his removal from office includes the removal of his title, but he remains a bishop by ordination, Byrnes said. 

"The removal of office means the removal of title. He's still a bishop by ordination, but he's not the archbishop," Byrnes said. "It's a very slight little thing, but that's the way I'm taking it."

So, what part of the Canon Law did Coadjutor Archbishop Byrnes not understand?  The canon law is made perfectly clear in one sentence.  Someone should CORRECT the Coadjutor Archbishop of Guam.  He spoke about moving forward into "post-Apuron."  Since when is a person used in such format?  I have heard of post-Vatican II, post-confirmation, and the post-911 GI bill.  How degrading to place  Archbishop Apuron, the Archbishop of Agana in such format as though he were a thing or object rather than a person. 

He spoke about reparation.  He made the same mistake when he announced a year of healing and reconciliation on July 6, 2017.  Obviously, he did not learn from his previous mistake.  In 2017, he opened the year of healing and reconciliation after criticizing and judging Archbishop Apuron. Today, he has done much worse. Upon hearing of the verdict and Archbishop Apuron's appeal, the Coadjutor Archbishop then spoke of penance and reconciliation after he STOLE the title "Archbishop of Agana" for himself.  Does he hate Archbishop Apuron that much?  Or is it the title and throne that he seeks for himself?     

Archbishop Apuron Appeals Verdict

Through a statement with his attorney Jacque Terlaje, Archbishop Apuron still maintains his innocence.  According to KUAM news (the bold is mine, and the black are my comments):

"God is my witness; I am innocent and I look forward to proving my innocence in the appeals process" - those words from suspended Archbishop Anthony Apuron in a statement to the press mere hours after a papal bulletin announced a guilty verdict for certain accusations against him.

Though it's never specified, Apuron maintains his canonical trial, in part, cleared his name. His civil attorney, Jacque Terlaje, confirming this with KUAM, as well, saying, "First of all, I want to reiterate that Archbishop Anthony was actually acquitted of the majority of the charges against him. I think this is an important fact that has been underplayed by many of the media outlets that are out there."

Suspended since June 2016 as archbishop, the papal bulletin states he is to be stripped of his title and removed from the local Archdiocese as a result of the Vatican verdict. That is, unless he appeals the sentence, which he has.

"There is an appellate process in place," Terlaje reinforced. "And he has already appealed the finding of guilt."

No word on how long that appeals process would take - but Attorney Terlaje expressing she's disappointed in the local Archdiocese for jumping to condemn their former shepherd. "I was a bit disheartened and disturbed by Coadjutor (Michael) Byrnes' statement," she stated. "To publicly condemn Archbishop Anthony without having the full information, for me, it's an unjust condemnation of him."

Archbishop Byrnes would have shown a better example had he said to pray for everyone including Archbishop Apuron.  Healing begins with forgiveness, not condemnation.  

"We don't know today which of the accusations Archbishop Anthony was found guilty of."

Attorney Terlaje reiterates - she's only Apuron's civil attorney. In Rome, he has canon lawyers working for him. "I don't even know what the grounds of appeal are. I'm not a canon lawyer, so I can't even tell you what Archbishop Anthony has the ability to appeal on," Terlaje said. "His canon lawyers are the ones handling that entire process, and this is the nature of the Vatican process as well - that we don't have information,"

Apuron hasn't been home since 2016, when the first allegations of clergy sexual abuse were made against him. Since then, we've only heard from him via video and e-mailed statements to Guam media.

In January, he reacted to his most recent accuser, his nephew Mark Apuron, who alleges his uncle raped him. Again, Apuron maintained his innocence, but also disclosed his deteriorating health, stating, "As I lay sick after another surgery and I face the final judgment approaching evermore close, having lost interest in this world, God is my witness: I deny all allegations of sexual abuse made against me, including this last one." In February, he was spotted in Rome amongst other priests, sitting in a wheelchair.

His last sighting prior was over a year ago, in Fairfield, California, after the plaintiffs' attorney sent private investigators to locate him. He was seen answering the door for investigators who faked a story about a missing dog.

Far from home, Attorney Terlaje reported he's never been far from heart and continues to pray for the local church, saying, "Archbishop Anthony has been consistently praying for the people of Guam. He has been consistently asserting his innocence. And he has been praying that this suffering, this problem this hurt that we have on this island is healed."

To each of his accusers, Apuron maintains it is he who is victim, stating, "As the Church in Guam is being destroyed by people who have only their power agenda at heart, may God have mercy on us all and save His Church from the powers of darkness. I pray that the truth may prevail; I pray for my accusers: fill them with what they desire; as for me, when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your face, oh Lord. (Ps. 17, 15)"

Arcbhishop Apuron showed the better example as a shepherd and a man of God, praying for his accusers.    

Even with a Vatican verdict, Attorney Terlaje says it doesn't mean much for the civil lawsuits he faces here at home. "The reality of the situation...is that this particular verdict doesn't necessarily have a very big impact on the civil case," she said.

Brothers and sisters, continue to pray for our persecutors, Archbishop Apuron, and Coadjutor Archbishop Byrnes.  

Archbishop Byrnes' Press Release?

The jungle has published Archbishop Byrne's press release today, March 17th.  See the screenshot below:

I went through Guam's media and newspaper. The press release of Archbishop Byrnes has not been published yet. As of now at the time of composing this post, the media has the following latest news, but no report of Archbishop Byrnes press release. The Guam Daily Post, the PDN, PNC, and KUAM did not publish the press release. But the press release was in Junglewatch for quite some time now. 

So the question is WHO gave the press release to Rohr and WHY?  

Update On Appeal

The following article can be found here:

Vatican City, Mar 16, 2018 / 06:13 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Friday the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced the conclusion of a year-long trial against an archbishop in Guam, stating that he has been found guilty of some charges stemming from allegations of sexual abuse of minors and has been removed from office.

A source close to the case has confirmed that the archbishop has already appealed the decision.

According to a March 16 statement from the Apostolic Tribunal of the CDF, Archbishop Anthony Apuron, 72, was found guilty of “certain” accusations and penalized with removal from the office and prohibition from residing within the Archdiocese of Guam.

The CDF did not state the charges for which the archbishop was found guilty. Sources close to the case told CNA that the archbishop was found guilty of a minority of the allegations leveled against him.

If the archbishop has been found guilty of sexual abuse of minors, the penalty leveled against him is unusual - often a cleric found guilty of such crimes would be "laicized," or removed from the clerical state, sources say.

Sources also noted that the archbishop has seemingly maintained his ecclesiastical faculties, and though restricted from residence in Guam, is apparently able to exercise ministry as a priest.

A source close to the case told CNA that the penalty is "a complete contradiction" to the sentence.

The source said that if the archbishop is guilty of sexual abuse against minors, "justice would demand the strongest possible penalty," adding "this punishment maintains the status quo."  

One expert suggested to the CNA that the five-judge panel may have been divided on the archbishop's guilt, which could explain the disparity between a guilty verdict and an unusually light sanction.

One source questioned whether pressure to quickly resolve the matter might have influenced the sentence.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, former prefect of the Vatican's Apostolic Signatura, is the case's only judge to be publicly identified.

"It is difficult to explain how such a serious-minded and competent canonist would put his name to something like this," a source close to the case said of Burke, noting questions raised about the sentence and delays in the case's adjudication. 

Apuron was relieved of his pastoral and administrative authority by Pope Francis in 2016, in the wake of the allegations, and was effectively replaced by Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes, formerly of Detroit.

The canonical trial against Apuron began in October 2016, with Cardinal Burke appointed by Pope Francis as the trial’s presiding judge. Byrnes told reporters that the Vatican reached a decision on the case in October 2017, though no information regarding its outcome had yet been released.

Sources question why the CDF delayed finalizing sentences apparently completed in mid-2017. The archbishop is reported to have been notified of the court's decision only recently, and it was not made publicly known until today.

One source close to the Archdiocese of Agana in Guam questioned whether Archbishop Byrnes pushed the Vatican to release the sentence in order to resolve public concern about the matter in Guam.

However, the source questioned whether Byrnes has been appropriately advised on the matter. "Most of the people who were opposed to [Apuron] in terms of governance" have become advisers to Byrnes, the source said.

"The curial advice Byrnes is receiving is institutionally and personally opposed to Apuron."

In the early hours of March 17 on Guam, Apuron released a statement through his attorney.

"I have been informed of the conclusion of the first instance canonical trial against me. While I am relieved that the tribunal dismissed the majority of the accusations against me, I have appealed the verdict. God is my witness; I am innocent and I look forward to proving my innocence in the appeals process," the statement read.

"Today, my prayers are with the Church in Guam, which has been suffering greatly. I pray that Santa Marian Kamalen may intercede for the healing of our island," Apuron continued.

Until appeals are resolved, “the imposed penalties are suspended until the final resolution” of the trial, according to the CDF.  

A source told CNA that the credibility of the witnesses will be a major factor of the appeal. Questions have been raised regarding connections between the witnesses, attorneys, and real estate developers on Guam.

The prefect of the CDF, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, will determine whether or not to accept the appeal, and then be responsible for appointing judges to consider it.

The most recent allegation against Apuron was made Jan. 10 by the archbishop’s nephew, Mark Apuron. He filed a lawsuit Jan. 10 claiming that his uncle raped him in a Church bathroom in 1989 or 1990. This was the fifth lawsuit to accuse the archbishop of sexual abuse of minors during his time as a pastor and bishop.

The archbishop denied the allegations in a statement Jan. 18, writing, “God is my witness: I deny all allegations of sexual abuse made against me, including this last one,” according to Guam Pacific Daily News.

In addition to this claim, Apuron also faced four other accusations from former altar boys, who charged the archbishop with abuse in the 1970s when he served as a parish priest in Agat.

The first allegations against the archbishop were made public in May 2016. Mark’s attorney, David Lujan, said that his client was too ashamed and embarrassed to tell his family about the alleged abuse until recently.

Archbishop Byrnes, who is empowered by the Vatican to oversee the Archdiocese of Agana but has not yet formally succeeded Apuron, has since implemented new child protection policies in the archdiocese, including a safe environment program that Byrnes said will “help to instigate a change of culture in our Archdiocese.”

Byrnes adopted in February 2017 the US bishops’ conference’s Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and its essential norms on dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clerics.

The Archdiocese of Agaña is currently a defendant in 96 sexual abuse lawsuits, involving Apuron, 13 priests, a Catholic schoolteacher, a Catholic school janitor, and a Boy Scout leader. Most of the lawsuits were filed after 2016, when Guam’s territorial legislature eliminated the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse.

Appeal Has Already Been Done

It was brought to my attention that the CDF has found Archbishop Apuron guilty of sexual abuse; however, an inside source revealed to me that an appeal has already been done.  In other words, the Archbishop still remains the Archbishop of Agana because he has already started the appeals process.  Therefore, the battle still continues.  

According to the Catholic Herald (the bold is mine):

A source told The Catholic Herald that Archbishop Apuron will appeal the verdict, and remains Archbishop of Agaña while he does so.

The accusations against the archbishop ranged from the most serious allegations of child abuse to less serious accusations. The CDF rejected most of the accusations, and has not revealed which ones he is guilty of. 

The archbishop denies all accusations against him.

The fact that he is allowed to appeal implies that there are some lingering doubts to the sexual allegations.  What I placed in bold are the doubts.  It appears that the Tribunal rejected MOST of the accusations, but they did not reveal what accusations he is guilty of.  In fact, even the Vatican press release stated that the Archbishop has been found guilty of SOME of the accusations, but did not say which ones.  So, the battle continues on until the final resolutions of the Appeal.  Let us continue to pray for the truth to prevail.

In other News:

The Vatican on Friday removed the suspended Guam archbishop from office and ordered him not to return to the Pacific island after convicting him of some charges in a sex abuse trial.

The Vatican didn't say what exactly Archbishop Anthony Apuron had been convicted of, and the sentence was far lighter than those given high-profile elderly prelates found guilty of molesting minors. It amounts to an early retirement anywhere in the world but Guam, a remote U.S. Pacific territory.

Apuron is 72, while the Vatican retirement age is 75.

The Vatican spokesman declined to comment. Calls placed to the tribunal judge weren't answered. Apuron's whereabouts weren't immediately known.

Pope Francis named a temporary administrator for Guam in 2016 after Apuron was accused by former altar boys of sexually abusing them when he was a priest. Dozens of cases involving other priests on the island have since come to light, and the archdiocese is facing more than $115 million in civil lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by priests.

Apuron strongly denied the charges and said he was a victim of a "calumny" campaign. He wasn't criminally charged. The statute of limitations had expired.

A statement from the tribunal in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles sex abuse cases, said Apuron had been convicted of some of the accusations against him. It said he had been ordered removed from office and could no longer live in the archdiocese of Guam.

The conviction and sentence can be appealed. If Apuron appeals, the penalties are suspended until the case is resolved.

In the past, when an elderly or infirm priest has been convicted by the Vatican of sexually abusing minors, he has often been removed from ministry and sentenced to a lifetime of "penance and prayer." Younger priests convicted of abuse have been defrocked, removed from ministry or forbidden from presenting themselves as priests.

Francis, however, has intervened in a handful of cases to lower sentences, and several high-ranking Vatican prelates oppose defrocking convicted molesters and have long lobbied for more lenient sentences.

In the case of Apuron, no restrictions on his ministry as a priest were announced.

My Response To Grow Up

The following was made by Grow up in faith, which can be found here.  His/Her comments are in red, the blue are quotes from articles, and mine are in black:

Please do not overdo this dear Anonymous! Do you have the blood of Christ circulating in your veins? Really? What you eat or drink goes to your stomach for digestion. This is human biology. 

When we consume the Body of Christ and drink His Blood, it does flow in our veins.  Human biology shows that after the food is digested in the stomach, the food molecules are transported throughout the body via the blood stream.  According to science:

Digested food molecules are absorbed in the small intestine. This means that they pass through the wall of the small intestine and into our bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, the digested food molecules are carried around the body to where they are needed.

Since it is Christ's Body and Blood that we consume during the Eucharist, then it is His Body and Blood that flows in our bloodstream.  

Protestants do have their own churches! Why would they need the Catholic church? Why would they follow the Catholic hierarchy when they have their own? If you ask them they'll tell you all churches are the Body of Christ, because all churches are part of the Universal Church of Jesus Christ. All churches are part of the Kingdom of Jesus. They follow their own church, not ours.  

Christ built only ONE Church.  He did not build 25,000 different Christian churches.  It is only in the Catholic Church that one will find the fullness of truth.  Protestant churches only have part of the truth because they have sacred scripture.  And even with that, seven books from their Bible is missing along with parts of Esther and Daniel. As Catholics, Christ called us to evangelize so that the TRUTH would be known.  Can you imagine how Protestant converts like Tim Staples, Steven Ray, and Scott Hahn felt when they realized the truth?  They cried because they finally came home.  We Catholics are called to bring the Truth to our Christian brothers and sisters so they also can come home.  According to Steven Ray:

Our journey to the ancient Church of the first centuries began by seeing the problems within Protestantism — problems that were incurable. If they would have been corrected it would have become Catholic. Sometimes one has to realize they are very sick before they visit a doctor. Janet and I came to realize over time that something was dreadfully wrong with Protestantism.

Protestant converts like Steven Ray have gone on to evangelize our brothers and sisters in other Christian denominations so they can also come home.  The problem is why can't the so-called "traditional" Catholics do the same?  Do you not want them to know the truth?  Do you not want to help our brothers come home to the Catholic Church....the ONLY Church built by Christ?

Protestants are Christians, just like we Catholics, they are our brothers in Christ even if we disagree on things. Christian is who has faith in Jesus and the Creed. We are followers of Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. Jesus died for both Catholics and Protestant. It is not necessary to convert to be saved. It is our hope that we'll be together with our Protestant brothers in heaven. 

Because they are our brothers in Christ, it is all the more reason why we should have an interfaith dialogue with them.  God is the judge.  Yes, it is our hope that we will be together with our Protestant brothers in Heaven, but that does not excuse us from keeping the truth only to ourselves.  

If you want to lay down your life for your enemy, then please do so and I'll admire you for that. How do you do it? Are you going to the war zone? It is not a requirement for either faith or salvation to get killed. Many saints of the Catholic Church lived a long life without sacrificing their life for someone you may call an enemy.  

Who is your enemy if everybody is your neighbor? 

The enemy is Satan who is the deceiver and father of lies.  He deceived our Christian brothers and continues to deceive them to this day. That is the job of Satan.  The question is....what is your job as the member of the one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church?  The Catholic Church is the only true Church built by Christ Himself.  And this is not an arrogant saying.  That is the truth.  

Boom Time For Seminaries

Many of us are aware of the shortage of priests.  However, God never abandons His Church.  The growing number of seminaries is an indication that God is calling men to the priesthood.  The Redemptoris Mater Seminary is unique in that it is not only for the Diocese, but also for the universal Church.  The RMS train its priest for missionary work worldwide.  You can find the following story here.

The Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Homebush, which produces priests for service in archdiocesan parishes, is experiencing a renaissance of interest with 51 seminarians from ten dioceses in formation – the largest number the seminary has had in over a decade.

“I believe there was a similar number about ten years ago,” Fr Danny Meagher, Rector of the seminary, told The Catholic Weekly.

This year eight new seminarians entered the Homebush seminary. There will also be two ordinations to the priesthood and seven to the diaconate in 2018.

The seminarians range in age from 21 to 41, and while most were born and bred in Australia, many are from diverse ethnic backgrounds including Vietnamese, Filipino, Iraqi, Ugandan, Nigerian and Italian.

There are also three Sydney seminarians currently undertaking studies in Rome.

“We try to help them come to know themselves better,” Fr Meagher said. “To come to know God better, understand the Church, so they can freely choose to give themselves to God and the Church. And to grow in maturity, goodness and holiness in order to become good compassionate priests.”

Meanwhile, the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary in Chester Hill – run under the auspices of the Neocatechumenal Way in Australia – has 22 young men from all parts of the world studying for the priesthood.

Founded in Spain in 1968, the Neocatechumenal Way is one of the newest and fastest growing movements in the Church.

While priests ordained from Redemptoris Mater always belong, once ordained, to the Archdiocese of Sydney, they can be released to serve in missionary roles all over the world.

Rector Fr Eric Skruzny said they are expecting another two new-starters to join them this year. The seminarians undertake their studies at the Catholic Institute of Sydney and Notre Dame University.

“The aim is to prepare them to be missionary priests in a changing world,” Fr Skruzny said.

“To prepare them to be ready to confront the challenges of a modern and changing society. To confront the challenges of moral confusion and ignorance. To be merciful and understand the difficulties and pressures for people living in the modern world.”

Catholics Are Not Protestants

One difference between Catholics and Protestants is that many Protestants separate the Church from Jesus Christ.  The Church and Christ are one because Christ is the groom and the Church is the bride.  St. Paul said that husbands and wives are one flesh, and he compared this oneness with Christ and the Church.  Christ and His Church are also one.  He is the head and the Church is his body.  Head and body are one.  When you separate the head from the body, the body is dead. Husband and wife becomes one flesh.  Christ and the Church becomes one spirit.   

CCC 796 ..........This is the whole Christ, head and body one formed from many...whether the head or members speak, it is Christ who speaks.  He speaks in his role as the head (ex persona capitis) and in his role as body (ex persona corporis). What does this mean?  "The two will become one flesh.  This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the Church." And the Lord himself says in the Gospel: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh."  They are, in fact, two different persons, yet they are one in conjugal union....as head, he calls himself the bridegroom, as body, he calls himself "bride." 

Many Protestants go "church shopping" because they separate the church from Christ.  They seek the ideal church for themselves....a church that suits them better.  And they have a variety to choose from.  Catholics, on the other hand, follow the doctrines of the Catholic Church which clearly spells out that you cannot separate the Church and Christ. 

CCC 795 Christ and his Church thus together make up the "whole Christ" (Christus totus).  The Church is one with Christ.  The saints are acutely aware of this unity.  

Let us rejoice then and give thanks that we have become not only Christians, but Christ himself.  Do you understand and grasp, brethren.  God's grace toward us?  Marvel and rejoice: we have become Christ for if he is the head, we are the members, he and we together are the whole man....the fullness of Christ then is the head and the members.  But what does "head and members" mean?  Christ and the Church. 

Our redeemer has shown himself to be one person with the holy Church whom he has taken to himself Head and members form as it were one and the same mystical person.

A reply of St. Joan of Arc to her judges sums up the faith of the holy doctors and good sense of the believer, "About Jesus Christ and the Church.  I simply know they're just one thing and we shouldn't complicate the matter." 

How wonderful and amazing that the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the "Church" as its members, which include the leaders of the Church (bishops and priests).  A Catholic's faith is in Jesus Christ AND the Church for they are inseparable.  Protestants, on the other hand, usually say that their faith should only be in Jesus Christ.  This is one of the things that differentiates us from our Protestant brothers.