Saturday, June 30, 2018

The Facts Presented

For the last four years, the jungle have published that Archbishop Apuron was controlled by either Father Pius, the NCW, the Gennarinis, or all of them combined.  Below are several comments taken from the jungle implying that Archbishop Apuron was controlled or influenced by the NCW:

Comment 1 dated November 10, 2014 (the bold is mine):
The sad part is that the Archbishop is simply lying and having others lie for him at the order of his Neocatechumenal Masters who need the Archbishop to stay standing for a few years longer so they can keep pumping out presbyters that probably couldn't get ordained anywhere else.........Fr. Pius, while he pretends to be the Archbishop's servant, is actually his lord and master. 
Comment 2 dated January 9, 2015 (the bold is mine):
Thus, all Apuron can do is add three more members who could tip the balance in a vote, but we all know that Apuron is completely controlled by the Gennarini's. This is because, Apuron is IN the Neocatechumenal Way and must be subservient to his Catechist. Giuseppe Gennarini is the "Catechist" for the United States.
Comment 3 dated August 9, 2014: 
Received this from "Glad to be Back in Holy Mother Church". It verifies many things already mentioned on this blog.
  • Archbishop Apuron is not in control.
  • All decisions are made for this archdiocese, including who becomes a priest at RMS, by Giuseppe Gennarini, the lead "responsible" for the NCW in the United States. Gennarini is Fr. Pius' immediate superior, and Fr. Pius is the Archbishop's immediate superior. Gennarini's immediate superior is Kiko. This is the hierarchy controlling our church on Guam!
  • Both Fr. Paul and Msgr. James were fired at Kiko & Gennarini's order. 
In summary, Rohr advertised the propaganda that Archbishop Apuron was never in control, and that all decisions for the Archdiocese were made by Gennarini or the NCW. However, the truth is found in the 2010 CARA report.  On page 40 of the 2010 CARA report, it cited the following as one of the problems between Archbishop Apuron and the clergy (the bold is mine): 
Communication between the Archbishop and clergy...Local clergy cliques seem to exert pressure and influence on Archbishop's decisions.
As you can see from the 2010 CARA report, it was the "local clergy cliques" that had been exerting pressure and influence on Archbishop Apuron all along. It was never the RMS priests, the NCW, Father Pius, or even the Gennarinis who influenced Archbishop Apuron. Obviously, the "local clergy cliques" did not like any decisions Archbishop Apuron made on his own.  One then has to wonder who were in the "secret meetings" that Rohr mentioned after Father Paul was removed.

The jungle used the NCW, Father Pius, and the Genarinnis as scapegoats. Since the CARA report stated that the "local clergy cliques" exerted pressure and influence on Archbishop Apuron, one then has to wonder if the same thing is also being done to Archbishop Byrnes.  

As for the Filipino priests, the jungle is claiming that the NCW is trying to separate the Filipino priests from the rest.  According to the jungle blog:
 The Neos never at a loss to capitalize on an opportunity recruited some influential Filipino priests in their ranks. The fact that these individuals were easily bought and paid for, eased the process. This led to some internal conflicts that are still existing today, even though things are not as overt, as they once were.  
The truth is many of the Filipino priests were never bought and paid for by the NCW.  Have you noticed that Frenchie only gave lip service, but never produce any evidence of payment?  Many Filipino priests feel comfortable with many RMS priests because they are also foreigners. Again, the facts are found in the 2010 CARA Report.  On page 33 of the report, it stated:
Clergy born in the Philippines and the United States are most likely to agree at least "somewhat" that they often feel like an outsider because of their nationality, race, or ethnicity. (38 percent, compared to 5 percent of priests born in Guam or elsewhere).
The facts will also show that the jungle expressed negative remarks about Filipino priests (see the weblink here).  It is also a fact that Attorney David Lujan had made a racial remark about Archbishop Byrnes.  According to KUAM news:
Not everyone is pleased with the new bishop-designee for the Archdiocese of Agana. According to Attorney David Lujan, he's offended by Rome's pick for Guam. He stated, "We've 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 be Chamorros or Filipinos. But we have more than enough qualified leadership in the local clergy really, who Rome should have contemplated." 
The nationality or skin color of the Archbishop should not be an issue. The NCW never separated the Filipino priests from the rest. The jungle did that on their own with their negative remarks against them (see the weblink here). Negative remarks about the Filipino priests apparently goes back even before the 2010 CARA report.   

All the negative things are blamed on the NCW, and all the positive things are credited to the jungle.  A case in point...... according to Tim Rohr:
And NO, it is not thanks to the once a year "wave" or "march for life" staged by the archdiocese so "they" could feel better about themselves. It was due to the small people, like my daughters, who stood out in front of those abortion clinics day after day, in the rain, alone, sick, tired, and feeling defeated, with their signs, their rosaries, and their presence...when no one else did. God bless you.
Facts will show that the reason there is no longer any abortion being done in Guam is simply because Dr. Freeman, the only abortion doctor on island, RETIRED.  According to the Pacific Daily News:
For years there were two doctors who performed abortions on Guam. One retired in 2016; the second doctor retired last month, leaving the island without any physicians who will perform abortions.,,,,,,
Since late 2016, Dr. William Freeman at the Women's Clinic had been the island's only abortion provider. 
Dr. Jeffrey Gabel, who’s been practicing in Guam for about 10 years, said he took over the Women’s Clinic effective June 1. Gabel said he doesn’t conduct abortions and he doesn’t support abortions made at will. 
“I’m pro-life,” Gabel said.
Gabel, an obstetrician and gynecologist, said within about a week or two after he took over, word got around fairly quickly that Freeman had retired and Gabel had taken over. Gabel said he worked under Freeman but hadn't performed abortions.  
The credit goes to Dr. Jeffrey Gabel who took over the clinic and chose to follow his Christian beliefs of pro-life.      

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Put On The Armor Of God

The real enemy had always been Satan. He is the enemy of both God and man.  I have always said that Tim Rohr is our brother.  The devil, who tempts all of us to sin, is the real enemy.  Our sins separate us from God and causes the division between husbands and wives, between families, and between brothers and sisters.  

In the beginning, Adam and Eve lived in harmony and was in union with God.  Their sin of disobedience and pride separated them from God. Harmony between husband and wife was also lost due to sin. But the Good News is that Christ came to redeem and reconcile us with God so that we may have eternal life with God our Father, Mary our Mother, and Jesus Christ our brother.  Our battle is far from over.  

So, brothers and sisters, continue to walk in the Way.  Continue to walk with your community in the Eucharist and the celebration of the Word.  Since we are already in summer schedule, our conviviences will pick up after the summer. As many of you already know, the persecution has strengthen us.  There is much to give thanks and praise to God.  Remember also, that our fight is against Satan.  It is not against flesh and blood.  It is not against man.  Pray for Archbishop Apuron and Archbishop Byrnes and all the clergy because Satan attacks them more than the laity.  Pray also for our persecutors because they are suffering tremendously.  

Related image    

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Letter From the Bishop of Brooklyn

The following was a letter from Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn dated June 2018.

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Dear Brother Bishops, 

On behalf of the Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops noted in the attached letter, I am pleased to share with you this joint statement on the Neocatechumenal Way. 

With every best wish, I am 

Sincerely in Christ, 
Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio
Bishop of Brooklyn 

You can view his letter in the screenshot below: 



I also have the attachment, which reads: 

                              Statement Conference of Bishops

Just a little more than a month ago in Rome, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, presided over the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the beginning of the Neocatechumenal Way, at the presence of over two hundred thousand people from all over the world, 16 cardinals and 138 bishops. 

The Holy Father concluded his remarks, before the solemn singing of the Te Deum Laudamus, with these words:  "Your charism is a great gift of God for the Church of our time.  Let us thank the Lord for these 50 years."

We join the Holy Father in thanking the Lord for all the gifts that God has given us through the Neocatechumenal Way here in the United States during the last 41 years: marriage rebuilt and open to life, men and women eager to know more deeply the Word of God and to spread the Good News and particularly many vocations to the priesthood.  

With the even more recent opening of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Brooklyn, there are now nine such seminaries throughout the United States: Newark, Denver, Boston, Washington, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia and Bridgeport.  During the past years, numerous priests have been ordained from these diocesan seminaries.  These priests have been a great help not only in their own dioceses, but also in many other dioceses in need throughout the United States and the world.  

Looking at the future, we hope and trust that even more gifts will arrive to us here in the United States, as well as to the whole world, through this charism of the Neocatechumenal Way. 

Please join us in thanking the Lord for this gift.  

The above attachment with the names of the bishops can be viewed through the screenshots below: 





 

Friday, June 22, 2018

The Double Standard of the Jungle

The jungle often complained about how the NCW celebrates its Mass.  Tim Rohr and the junglefolks say that the Mass should be celebrated on a consecrated altar.  According to Tim Rohr:
Here of course we see not only why the Neo eschews the idea of celebrating the Mass on a consecrated altar, which the Catechism says is the symbol of Christ himself (CCC 1383), but abandons the church building altogether, in direct contradiction to Canon Law of course:
Can.  932 §1. The eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in a sacred place unless in a particular case necessity requires otherwise; in such a case the celebration must be done in a decent place. §2. The eucharistic sacrifice must be carried out on a dedicated or blessed altar...
The Code goes on to direct how the "eucharistic sacrifice" is to be offered when not offered on a dedicated or blessed altar, but of course the condition of when "necessity requires" has already been established.
In addition to criticizing the NCW, Rohr has also criticized the regular parish Masses.  According to Tim Rohr: 
1. Change your “altar” to a mere table
Since the 60's we've been hearing "the table of the Lord" instead of "the altar of God." Long ago, and before Kiko, we moved away from the High Altar atop "the three steps" to a table-looking thing that has edged ever closer to the people (and thus a "dinner" table and NOT an "altar") with some churches actually placing the "table" in the center (Santa Barbara) or almost in the center (St. Jude). And these churches are the among the most anti-neo. 
However, a friend emailed me a screenshot from Rohr's facebook page.  It showed Tim Rohr having Mass on his kitchen table.  Rohr accommodated a priest in his home, and they celebrated Mass on his kitchen table.  See the screenshot below: 


So, to the junglefolks, this is who your leader is.  He pointed his finger at the NCW, telling them that they are wrong in having their Mass in their private homes instead of before a consecrated altar.  Yet, it is okay for Rohr to have Mass in his private home on his kitchen table.  He criticized the parish Masses of St. Jude Catholic Church and Santa Barbara Catholic Church by accusing these churches of having their Mass on a table rather than on a consecrated altar.  Yet, it is okay for Rohr to have Mass in his private home on his kitchen table.  What do you have to say about your leader now?  

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Last Rights: Canon Law in a Mirror of Justice Cracked

The following article was written by Father Stuart MacDonald through "These Stone Walls".  You can find the article here.  The article is worth reading. The yellow highlights are mine. 

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The story of sex abuse and the Catholic priesthood has itself been abused to malign the Church. A canon lawyer describes the resulting erosion of the rights of priests.
by Father Stuart MacDonald, J.C.L.
Note from Father Gordon MacRae: It is an honor to host this guest post by Father Stuart MacDonald whose previous contribution at These Stone Walls was one year ago with Ever Ancient, Ever New: Jesus’ Priesthood in a Time of Chaos.”
A few weeks ago, Fr Gordon MacRae published, yet again, a profound post – Holy Orders in Exile: The Ascension of Persona Christi – which was shared on Facebook an astonishing 25,000 times. Father’s posts are normally shared in the hundreds, only once reaching 15,000 shares. Both of those record-breaking posts dealt with due process in the Church – an issue with which Fr MacRae is justifiably interested.
Something else happened, moreover, on this latest post: an unusually high number of clerics chimed in with comments. You might think, “big deal.” Let me tell you, as a priest, it is because normally priests are reticent to associate with a brother priest who has been convicted of that crime for fear of being guilty by association, or labeled a priest protector or for any other number of reasons.
Something clearly is happening in the Church and the world – apart from Fr MacRae’s bold and prophetic posts – that is emboldening priests, and others – cf. Patricia MacDonald’s (no relation to me) comment from the June 6 post – to speak out against the injustice that is routinely being carried out in the Church against priests. Followers of TSW are well aware of Fr MacRae’s innocence and the double-blow of lack of due process dealt him. His is but one egregious case of many.
In an age in which liberty and choice are glorified, the reality is that priests have little freedom and fewer rights than most. The debacle that we refer to as the sex abuse scandal has made priests pariahs in both the secular and ecclesiastical worlds. In the secular world now, priests, in general, are held in suspicion; accused ones, considered guilty no matter what.
In the ecclesiastical world, priests are seen as a potential liability for a law suit against the diocese: they have become the pawns of risk management. The result is a form of tyranny with which a bishop treats his priests. Many bishops, in the name of protecting minors, incorrectly have bought into the argument that laws, due process, and rights are not nearly as important as appearing to be on top of things, read: the accuser is always right. Based on the incorrectly understood mantra that a priest must obey in all things but sin, priests, routinely, are pressured into giving up, or are forced to cede, their ecclesiastical, and sometimes even their civil, rights, all for the good of the Church.
For the good of the Church – pro bono Ecclesiae, as those in the know use it – is an interesting concept. The way it is bantered about today refers to the fact that the Church is going to be vigilant in protecting minors and vulnerable adults (as if the Church is going to wipe out that sin completely, and one wonders where the Gospel efforts are to wipe out the same sin in families, in sports and any number of other arenas). There is zero-tolerance in a zero sum game; any priest who is accused must be dealt with severely. Perhaps some laws and rights have to be glossed over, the thinking goes, but it is better for the Church this way, in the sense that the Church needs to regain her credibility among the faithful and the wider world. It’s all at the service of the Gospel. So they think; so they say. What those who subscribe to this theory fail to realise is that the good of the Church is only ever served when truth and justice are held as the highest standard, not credibility.
Truth has been compromised countless times in cases involving accused priests because, if the accusation is credible – in other words, the abuse could have happened, in theory, because the dates are relatively correct, the priest was serving in that parish at that time etc etc (which in Fr MacRae’s case is not true!) – then the priest is considered guilty. Judicial process, or even truly credible proofs, are not necessary: accusation has become the de facto standard of guilt for the world, and very nearly so in the ecclesiastical world. There is no opportunity for the accused priest to refute the accusation or to confront the accuser. Truth and justice are secondary to dealing with the problem. The expedient way of dealing with an accusation is automatically to believe the accuser.
What is ironic is that this mindset has now infiltrated the secular world with the #metoo movement. People lose jobs, are pilloried in the press, simply because an anonymous accuser says that Mr. X did or said something five, ten or twenty years ago. No proof (truth), no process (justice). Just accusation and guilt. In the Church, this does not lead to respect and confidence. It quiets the madding crowd for a while, to be sure; however, it belies that the Church still cannot be trusted because she uses power to do whatever she wants – which is exactly the same complaint that was levelled against her regarding the sex-abuse crisis. Bishops thought they were above the law, ignored it, and tried to protect the institution pro bono Ecclesiae. Well, the chickens have come home to roost, and it is making even bishops run scared. The result is more tyranny. Strangely, the result is also more clergy who are willing to stand in solidarity with those of their confreres whose rights have been trampled upon.
THE POWER BUT NOT THE GLORY
Several years ago, my own bishop – now emeritus – recounted to me how a priest had been telling him that a priest’s obedience was not about everything and anything (“obey in ALL things buts sin”) but only pertained to those things over which a bishop had legitimate claim. I recognized that this was a conversation I had had recently with the priest in question and that the bishop was seeking to correct me. The bishop said to me, “I told Father, that’s simply not true. I own each and every one of my priests.” I shall never forget that conversation. It opened my eyes to how deeply the abuse of authority runs.
The problem is that power, which is the tool of a bully, has been mistaken for authority, which is the legitimate tool of superiors. Power is getting one’s way by force and might. Authority is the superior’s prerogative of making licit decisions. The tyranny that reigns against priests is of bishops who think they can do whatever they want with those under their care because of ‘obedience’. It’s nothing new in the Church. A bit of history is in order.
An interesting book by Fr Kevin McKenna, For the Defense: the Work of Some Nineteenth Century American Canonists in the Protection of Rights (2014), outlines in great detail the struggle of some priests in the United States to assert their rights in the face of illicit removal from office or transfer as a pastor. Various canonists had to write in defense of priests, had to appeal to the Holy See in order to bring about change in the law of the Church at the time. One might think again, “big deal.” And again, I say, it is.
Priests are completely dependent on their bishops for their work and sustenance. Without leaving the priesthood – a very serious, and most often sinful thing – a priest can’t just go and find some other work or a new bishop. Therefore, it can sometimes be nigh impossible to find a canon lawyer (priest or lay) who is willing to advocate on behalf of a priest, because an advocate is seen, not as someone performing a legitimate and necessary function, but as someone who is challenging authority. That is as true now as it was in nineteenth-century America. Thankfully, that advocacy led to changes which were codified in the 1917 and 1983 Codes of Canon Law. Unfortunately, it remains an uphill battle to find canonists willing to assist a priest.
Even though the rights of clerics have been enshrined in the law of the Church, some canonists and bishops still find ways of getting around them. When the ugly face of sexual abuse manifested itself in the 1980s, canon law in general and penal (criminal) canon law specifically was held in disdain. Law was considered old-fashioned and rigid in the after-glow of Vatican II. Dioceses were ill-equipped to handle a trial for a priest accused of serious canonical crime. They didn’t have enough canonists, let alone the requisite knowledge, to conduct a trial.
Instead of using applicable canon law, superiors made other laws fit the situation if they even bothered to use the canons themselves. One such example occurred when canonists, using interpretations that have never been part of the canonical patrimony, distorted other laws that allowed priests to be removed from ministry, namely, laws regarding impediments to ordination. Just as there are certain situations which prevent a couple from marrying, things we call impediments to marriage – like not marrying too close a relative, for example – so there are impediments to being ordained a priest or exercising priestly ministry. In the old days, for example, you couldn’t be ordained a priest, or say Mass if you were already a priest if you were missing fingers that would be needed to hold the host. One such impediment which remains today in the law is the presence of insanity or psychic infirmity. Obviously, a person who is not compos mentis cannot be allowed to celebrate the sacraments for fear that they would be administered invalidly. In the 1980’s, abuse of a minor by a cleric suddenly became an indication of severe psychic infirmity, hence a cleric so accused was declared impeded from exercising his ministry in any and all ways. It was a complete misapplication of the law against which the priest had little or no recourse.
Administrative leave is the other common misapplication of ecclesiastical law. The concept, of course, is borrowed from civil law and business praxis. Someone is alleged to have done something seriously wrong in the workplace, pending an investigation, they are removed from their duties while still being paid. When the investigation is over, the leave comes to an end: the person is dismissed or she returns to work. Canon law has a similar practice. When an ecclesiastical trial is undertaken, a priest can be removed from ministry pending the outcome of the trial. At the end of the trial, the priest is either exonerated or punished, but the removal from ministry, as such, comes to an end.
Bishops began to misapply this part of the law. When a priest was accused, he was removed from ministry and placed on “administrative leave” that never ended because no trial was contemplated, let alone conducted. Soon bishops began to assert that a priest’s ministry was completely dependent upon the discretion of the bishop. Many canonists argued against these practices. When the full brunt of the abuse crisis exploded and the Church was caught with pants down – figuratively and, ahem, literally – something ‘more legal’ was needed to deal with the situation.
Just prior to the explosion of the crisis, and in response to what was seen as these inadequate practices by dioceses, the Holy See took on exclusive competence for handling abuse cases. While the Holy See was well-intentioned in its desire to see proper canonical procedures followed, it did not foresee the number of cases on the horizon for which it didn’t have enough staff. In 2002 the Boston scandal hit. Suddenly there was an avalanche of cases as dioceses scoured their personnel files to send cases to Rome, read: let them take care of it so we can wash our hands of it. Most of these cases were already well known to the local dioceses and had been dealt with in whatever way the local church chose: transfer the priest for a new start, declare the impediment or administrative leave. Almost none of them had been dealt with in the proper legal manner envisioned by the Church’s law.
Rome’s new competence meant that the local church could declare to the press that they were dealing with these cases with total transparency (often publishing the names of any priest who had been accused, including deceased ones, even though there had never been a proper investigation into the allegation). It was the pro bono Ecclesiae mentality firmly taking root – protect the Church, and her assets from being sued, rather than seek truth and justice.
Soon after, the American bishops – the Latin rite ones – enacted what have become known as the Essential Norms. Those are the laws that call for zero tolerance. But even they are fraught with difficulties – an article I wrote in 2006 Legality and Law: some reflections published in Advocacy Vademcum argues that the Norms might not even be valid law and may not apply to religious priests, among other problems.
It soon became clear that the Church could not handle the cases. Rome began delegating local dioceses to conduct trials. Dioceses responded that they didn’t have the ability to conduct them. Provision was made for shorter ‘administrative’ processes to be conducted locally. Furthermore, the issue of prescription (the Church’s equivalent of a statute of limitations) came up. The Holy Father approved a new law that would allow for the ‘statute of limitations’ to be set aside. It quickly became clear that due process and the rule of law were sitting on ever-changing sands.
What is especially ironic about the panic and legal wrangling that ensued is the bravado with which bishops, on the one hand, proclaimed they were seeking the protection of children by dispensing from the Church’s statute of limitations, pro bono Ecclesiae, while, on the other hand, they screamed “unfair!” at civil legislatures removing the civil statute of limitations for cases against the Church. People who claimed abuse often sued both the priest and the diocese for damages (Fr MacRae has written about how unscrupulous that whole business sometimes is). But those civil suits were often barred by the statute of limitations. Various legislatures removed the statute, clearing the way for the civil suits to move forward and for the dioceses to have to pay out money. It baffles any academically honest mind how someone could claim that removing prescription pro bono Ecclesiaewas acceptable but that removing the statute of limitations was unfair. I guess it depends on which side of the power divide one stands.
THE MIRROR OF JUSTICE CRACKED
So now we come to the present. The madding crowd was not satisfied with going after the priests: they want the bishops too. First, they wanted the priests held accountable for the abuse. Now they want bishops to pay the price for what is seen as cover-up. [In defense of the bishops, it needs to be pointed out that, for the most part, what is now seen to be cover-up and transferring priests to protect the Church, was, in reality, a dereliction of responsibility for carrying out canonical procedures, yes, but also, according to the anti-legal sentiment of the time, following the expert opinions of the professional psychologists who counselled bishops that transferring an abusive priest to a new setting would help him with his problem. Much needs to be laid at the feet of the medical professionals and the clergy rehab centers.]
In response to this public pressure, we see bishops increasingly, but quietly, being removed from office because they didn’t report accusations to the police, or harbored an accused priest. Just recently, Pope Francis excoriated the episcopate of Chile for the culture of cover-up. Almost all of the Chilean bishops have submitted their resignations to the Pope. Not so long ago, a Vatican diplomat was removed from the clerical state as a canonical punishment for sexual abuse – a punishment rarely, if ever, meted out to a bishop – and died before being tried in the Vatican’s civil court. An Australian Cardinal is currently being tried for sexual abuse of a minor in the Australian courts. Another bishop in Australia, criminally convicted of failing to report abuse, decided to take a leave of absence during his appeal and appointed a delegate. That didn’t fly: the Pope, in turn, has appointed an Apostolic Administrator – in other words, neither the convicted bishop nor his delegate is going to govern the diocese.
There is a new fear afoot – that of the bishops. The public is still hungry and the Church is once again struggling to gain credibility. Bishops are looking over their shoulders to see who is monitoring them. It’s not just priests who worry about being removed from ministry and tossed on the streets. It’s all ironic because bishops, in one sense, have even fewer rights enshrined in law than priests about these things. They serve at the will of and are judged only by, the Pope. The law just doesn’t envision that a bishop would be derelict in his duty or have to be removed from office, let alone removed from the clerical state – defrocking as the press quite incorrectly terms it. A priest, if he has the courage, can lodge a lengthy, financially costly recourse to higher authority, but a bishop? Short of begging the Holy Father… The irony brings no satisfaction or comfort to anyone. Bishops are on the hook now as well, and, in some senses, are being treated in the same manner as they have been treating their priests, all pro bono Ecclesiae. But the Church is no healthier. The faith is waning drastically in Western culture.
This sad situation will continue as long as the Church is interested only in appearing to be in control of the situation by the abuse of power. If all that matters is that we regain lost credibility with the world and the faithful, and we are willing to do that without truth and justice, then the credibility we gain is only temporary. Bishops will continue to show that they are strict and zealous, at the expense of their priests. If we thought it was bad before, it will only be worse because a bishop fears, not just public outcry about an allegation, but now he fears that his own job will be on the line.
Our Lord taught us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. If we are not interested in finding our way to the truth of accusations, of admitting mistakes, of admitting that human justice is never perfect and that perhaps a particular accused cleric here or there is beyond the scope of human justice, then we are not living in the way and the truth. Our Lord was sent to His death by accusations that no one bothered to investigate and by fear of the mob. Our credibility will return only when due process, as best as it can be done in our human condition, is respected. That will not make us popular; it will, however, make us authentic and transparent.
In saying all this, no one is trying to downplay or deny, the very serious crimes that have been committed by a very small number of priests, or even the egregious dereliction of duty by some bishops. But they, and much more so the innocent ones, deserve the same justice that Kim Kardashian was seeking for the convicted, and confessed, drug dealer. Where are the Kim Kardashians seeking the release of Fr Gordon MacRae? They deserve the same justice that bishops are bending over backward to get for illegal immigrants: I think we call it mercy.
Even if all the priests who have been accused were guilty, trampling truth and justice pro bono Ecclesiae is not the answer. Increasingly people see the injustice that Fr MacRae has suffered. It’s no wonder his post about fidelity to the priesthood was shared 25,000 times, that so many priests commented in support of him. His story, his wisdom scream to be shared. Thank God, priests and other clergy are recognizing the hypocrisy of it all and are willing to speak up. They are bold enough to speak out in support of Fr MacRae. God bless them. God reward them, but most of all, God protect them from pro bono Ecclesiae, truly for the good of the Church.
Father Stuart MacDonald, J.C.L., is a priest of the Diocese of St. Catharine in Ontario, Canada, Father Stuart is a canon lawyer, licensed paralegal, and former official in service to the Holy See. In addition to theological credentials, he holds a Master of Arts in History from McGill University and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Father Stuart is presently administrator of St. Anthony Parish in Welland, Ontario.
His guest post this week is a masterful analysis of what has happened in the last few decades in the Church in America, and he brings a much-needed insight into my own situation. His is a summons to Gospel fidelity for all Catholics – the only roadmap out of Dante’s “Dark Wood of Error” that is now the state of due process for Catholic priests.

Friday, June 15, 2018

Aviso in Umatuna

Father Efren goes to Toto Church.
Father Jonathan Alvarez is assigned to Asan Church.
Monsignor James is indeed back to being the pastor of Agana Cathedra.
Father Nino is assigned to Ordot Church.
Father Romeo becomes the Rector of the Cathedral.
Father Mike Crisostomo is assigned to the Tamuning parish.
Father Joel becomes the pastor of Barrigada Church.
Father Danilo Ferrandez is assigned to the  Yigo parish.
Father Gerardo is assigned to Malojojo. 
Father Krzysztof is assigned to Santa Bernadita parish.
Father Danilo Trajano is assigned to Piti.
Father Mel is assigned to Santa Rita parish.
Father Michael Junctun is assigned as Parochial Vicar of the Dededo parish.
Father Val is assigned Parochial Vicar at the Agana Cathedral.
Father Francisco and Father Edwin are assigned as Chaplains of the Chaplaincy Corp. Father Francisco will reside in the Dededo parish and Father Edwin will reside in the Tamuning parish.

These are the Aviso printed in the Umatuna.  By the way, what happened to Father Paul Gofigan? The Aviso says that Father Danilo Ferrandez is the pastor of the Yigo parish.


Thursday, June 14, 2018

Archbishop Apuron is the Archbishop of Agana


This is what I found interesting in the Pacific Daily News (The bold is mine):
Rome notified Byrnes during the last week of April about Apuron's filing of an appeal, according to Tony Diaz, director of communications for the archdiocese.
Really???? So, Archbishop Byrnes was notified by Rome since the last week of April????  It is now June 14th, and only now he decides to come out and say that Archbishop Apuron still retains his title. 

Archbishop Byrnes, the NCW and the RMS priests have been telling you all along that Archbishop Apuron has filed an appeal. The Appeals suspended the penalties and therefore he still holds the title "Archbishop of Agana."  Did you listen???? NO, you did not!  You took it upon yourself to take his title regardless that the Canon law was very clear on the matter. You become the Archbishop of Agana ONLY when Archbishop Apuron retires, resigns, or is removed. In other words, the seat of the Archdiocese of Agana must FIRST be vacant. An appeals did not leave the seat vacant! You already knew that Archbishop Apuron had filed an appeal because he publicly said so, but you went ahead and took his title anyway. I sincerely hope you do the right thing and restore Archbishop Apuron's name back in the Mass and your name back as Coadjutor.  

Brothers, pray for our Archbishop of Agana, Archbishop Apuron. Pray the rosary for him. Also, add a prayer for the Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes. 

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Message From Pope Francis

The following is a message from the Holy Father, Pope Francis and can be found here.  
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Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the concert of the Berlin Philharmonic for the 40th Anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way, 10.06.2018

Celebrations are underway from 9 to 10 June for the fortieth anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way in Berlin. Several events are planned, including: a Eucharistic celebration of thanksgiving, the presentation of the book “Annotations” from the initiator Kiko Argüello, and the Symphonic-Catechetic celebration The suffering of the Innocents by the Berlin Philharmonic, composed by Argüello himself, in which the victims of the Shoah are commemorated.

The following is the Holy Father Francis’ message, sent on his behalf by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to the archbishop of Berlin, H.E. Msgr. Heiner Koch, on the occasion of the concert by the Berlin Philharmonic:


Message

His Excellency Msgr. Heiner Koch
Archbishop of Berlin


Pope Francis has learned with joy of the performance of the symphony “The suffering of the innocent” by Kiko Argüello, which will be held in Berlin, and greets all those who are gathered for this event at the Berliner Philarmonie. Rooted in tradition and inspired by the biblical lamentations, this symphony commemorates the many victims of the Shoah. The memory of this atrocious violence, of the unspeakable pain and of the extermination of a people, must never fade. Rather, it is a constant warning to us all to be committed to reconciliation, to mutual understanding and to love towards our “elder brothers”, the Jews, and at the same time to a life dedicated to the suffering, the needy and all those who profoundly yearn for salvation. The Holy Father joins in this intention and heartily invokes God’s merciful blessing upon all those present.

With the best personal wishes.

Pietro Cardinal Parolin
Secretary of State of His Holiness

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

NCW in the Middle East

During the 50th Anniversary of the NCW in Rome, our brothers from the Middle East stood together as one region. As you know, many Christians in the Middle East are being persecuted and killed. Our persecution in Guam is nothing compared to what they are going through. You can find the following article here. 
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by Dario Salvi
Neematallah Issa, who looks at the example of "many priests" who came from the West to bear witness to Christ, issues the call. The presence of Christians is an element of balance in the middle of radicalism. Schools are a place of growth and education for life together. The crisis of vocation means the need for new missionaries.


Milan (AsiaNews) - Bearing witness to Christ in a Muslim majority nation "is difficult. Even just talking about our faith can be a problem,” said Neematallah Issa, a 55-year-old Egyptian from Cairo. “For this reason, many people have thought about emigrating.” Yet, "thanks to the example of many priests who left their country to come to Egypt to evangelise with their life and works, I realised that I too am called to the mission at home".

Issa is married father of eight children "five of whom are already in heaven", he notes with serene resignation. With his wife, he is a leader in the local neocatechumenal movement, a member of the parish choir as well as an ordained sub-deacon.

AsiaNews caught up with him in Milan (Italy) at the conference ‘Marhaba - God is love’ meeting promoted by the Ambrosiana San Marco Foundation, which brought together about 50 priests, students and lay people of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Lebanon, inspired by the Neocatechumenal Way founded by Kiko Arguello.

"In the past,” he noted, “I wanted to go to Canada, where I have an uncle and where I worked for some time. However, seeing the missionaries coming from Europe or America, who left ease and comforts to live in a poor parish or poor neighbourhood in Cairo, I felt a sense of amazement. And I began to ask myself many questions about the wish to emigrate."

Faced with a massive exodus of Christians from the Middle East and North Africa, the testimony given by Issa’s family of Issa and of many others who remained in their own land "has born fruit," he explained. “Many young people have begun to look at these examples."
"We have to stay in Egypt even if we have the possibility, like me, to leave. I was sure that I could play a role for this nation and for my community and I want to continue doing so."

The value of the Christian presence starts in schools, an essential factor of growth for the whole country. For Issa, "It is not just a place of study but is also a space in which to learn to live together. This is also why our presence in the Middle East is important. We are a balancing factor to be opposed to radicalism. Proof of this is that I have many Muslim friends and we live in harmony."

In addition to the exodus, the Churches of the East must also face a decline in vocations. "In the Greek Catholic Church in Cairo, there have not been any new priests for at least five or six years. Patriarchs and bishops are asking for more and more missionary priests because they struggle to keep places of worship open."

Bombs against churches and targeted attacks on communities "have also left their mark" but "faith remains stronger than fear".

"Several Muslims, even among journalists wonder how can Christians forgive and talk about love, even in the face of those who attack their families? But when you have an idea, a purpose, a mission, everything is different – even terrorism, economic and social difficulties are not scary."

Neematallah Issa does not want to conceal the problems of Egyptian society, which "lost a little of that tolerance that distinguished it". Nonetheless, he remains "optimistic" about the future, noting "positive" signs in the direction of "living together in peace".
"For that to happen,” he notes, “we need an adequate and balanced education for all, i.e. free from radical ideas. For Christians the task is to struggle to overcome this precarious condition in their own land."

Monday, June 11, 2018

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Apostolic Nuncio Honored at RMS Gala

The following article can be found here.  Interestingly, the article below stated: 
"I know that those of you who are part of the (Neocatechumenal) Way, or are benefactors who support the mission, have already adopted this missionary attitude, which we hope to inculcate in our future priests and really in the whole Church," Archbishop Pierre added.
 Is it not interesting that Archbishop Byrnes believes that those TYPE of priests should only exist in large populations.  Yet, the Catholic Church is moving in the direction of implementing that TYPE of priesthood to FUTURE priests for the WHOLE Church.  By "whole church", that would also include the Catholic Church in Guam.  The bold is mine.  
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QUINCY -- Nearly 700 people from throughout the archdiocese gathered at the Boston Marriott Quincy hotel for the ninth annual Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary Gala Dinner.

This year's gala honored Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States and Dr. Lucy Bayer-Zwirello, Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center at Steward Medical Group. Noted guests included Nicolle Noguera vice-consul of Colombia, Alberto Vasallo, president and CEO of El Mundo, Boston, Massachusetts native Bishop Donald Pelletier, retired bishop of Madagascar as well as several priests from the Archdiocese of Boston.

The evening began with Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley addressing the audience.

"First of all, I want to just thank all of you for being here tonight," Cardinal O'Malley began. "Your presence and your support of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary is so important -- it's crucial."


"Today, we celebrate in the Church the feast of Corpus Christi. In many of our parishes we have processions and other beautiful Masses to celebrate the gift of the Blessed Sacrament. But the Blessed Sacrament is made available only through our priests. We are a eucharistic people, and our priests are so important, therefore I am so grateful to all of you who are here tonight who support our seminaries and pray for vocations, and encourage our young men to consider a call," he continued.



Before the dinner service, Father Roderick Crispo, OFM, spiritual director of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, was recognized in a video tribute of his life. Immediately following the video several seminarians led the crowd in the singing of "Happy Birthday" as Father Crispo blew out candles on a birthday cake. A native of New York, Father Crispo was ordained in 1955, and has led a rich and varied life of service to the Church, serving as director of the Franciscan Retreat Center in Andover.

Beginning his keynote address, Archbishop Pierre extended a warm welcome from Pope Francis. "As the apostolic nuncio, the Holy Father's personal representative in the United States ... I wish to assure you of his spiritual closeness," he said.

The nuncio spoke of the need to evangelize society. Citing a quote from the Latin American Bishops used in Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium," he said, "We cannot passively and calmly wait in our church buildings. We need to move from a pastoral ministry of mere conservation to a decidedly missionary pastoral ministry."

"I know that those of you who are part of the (Neocatechumenal) Way, or are benefactors who support the mission, have already adopted this missionary attitude, which we hope to inculcate in our future priests and really in the whole Church," Archbishop Pierre added.


The bishop continued speaking of the need to form priests with missionary zeal.
"Boston has a rich Catholic history and tradition," he said, but added that "at the same time, it is missionary territory ripe for the new evangelization of the many who have fallen away and for the many new immigrants who are arriving. It is mission territory that longs for deep healing for those who have been alienated, disenfranchised or deeply wounded by members of the Church."

The bishop underscored that "only Christ can provide the true remedy."

He then cited Pope Francis' May 5 address on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way in Rome, when the Holy Father said that "only a Church that is free from power and money, free from triumphalism and clericalism bears witness in a credible way that Christ frees mankind. And those who, through his love, learn to renounce passing things embrace this great treasure: freedom."

"The Redemptoris Mater Seminary is a place where seminarians learn to renounce the things of this world and to discover and embrace the beauty of freedom, a freedom which they place, as shepherds of the flock, at the service of those at the physical and existential peripheries," he said.

Archbishop Pierre concluded praising the generosity of those attending the gala to support the seminary.

"Your gifts, your sacrifices and prayers help make all this possible," he said.

Following the nuncio's remarks, Dr. Lucy Bayer-Zwirello was presented with the seminary's Evangelization Award by Father Antonio Medeiros, rector of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary. The Evangelization Award "publicly recognizes the faithful witness of the Gospel of Life," Father Medeiros explained.

"Doctor Lucy has helped countless women," Father Medeiros said.

"I'm going to try really hard not to cry," said Bayer-Zwirello as she accepted the award. "But I want to share this award. I want to share this award with anyone who has worked in the field of maternal care."

"The honor really goes to every mother, future mother, past mother, and almost mother here today," she said.

"What does it mean to be an obstetrician in this world that is in such confusion and is so confusing?" she asked the crowd, noting that in the "Me-generation what is inconvenient can just be discarded."

She spoke of the importance of being a support for all expectant mothers, particularly those plagued by drug addiction.

"We love each of our patients. We really do," she said emphatically. "We care for our patients and wish each of them to succeed."

Bayer-Zwirello, who has delivered more than 7,500 babies in her 37-year career stressed that "every single one of those babies has been an honor and a pleasure."

The evening concluded with a musical selection from the Redemptoris Mater seminarians, who sang a cross section of folk, modern and traditional songs in a multitude of languages, representing the many cultures of the men studying in the seminary.

Speaking to The Pilot following the event, Father Medeiros said he was "impressed by the remarks of both honorees on the theme of the evening, namely young people, faith and vocational discernment."

He expressed appreciation for Archbishop Pierre's "simple, direct, and profound remarks echoed the Holy Father's love and enthusiasm for young people and then Dr. Lucy Bayer-Zwirello delivered poignant remarks about her rich experience witnessing the Gospel of Life in the context of prenatal and natal care, where she has helped countless women face the challenges and the joys of maternity, including delivering thousands of babies."

He also praised the "tremendous response" of those who came out to support the seminary at this year's gala.

"I am truly grateful for their generosity, for their friendship and for their love of our seminary," he said.

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Moving Forward

This is my response to Jokers Wild whose comment can be found here.  Jokers Wild's comments are in red while mine are in black. The blue are quotes. 


Dear Anonymous June 6, 2018 10:42am

It is our desire to be of service to Archbishop Michael and if there is any sign of disgust/disobedience/resentment we ask that you consider placing yourself in our experiences this past year with Archbishop Michael.

Last March, the RMS celebrated its Patron Feast of St. Patrick. Archbishop Michael DID NOT attend the Feast of HIS seminary.

Yes, it is sad that Archbishop Brynes was unable to attend the fiesta of the RMS seminary.  He attended the fiestas of all the parishes, but not the seminary.  He did not even send a delegate on his behalf.  Nevertheless, we all had a great time celebrating at the seminary.  We can only pray for Archbishop Byrnes. We move forward.
  
From time to time, the NCW has retreats that encourage/include the participation of the local ordinary, the Archbishop. So that he can witness/support the members as they progress along the way. HE DID NOT attend any of them.

Father Pius once said that communities who lack a priest has Jesus Christ present there in our celebrations.  The same is more true when the Archbishop fails to show.  Christ is there taking his place, and there is no better person than Christ.  We can only pray for Archbishop Byrnes. We move forward.

There have been numerous pilgrimages organized within the NCW where as many as 200-300 members take on a prayerful journey, to either visit the Holy Land, attend World Youth Day, attend World Meeting of Families. HE DID NOT bestow his paternal blessing at any of these. 

While it is true that Archbishop Byrnes did not give us his paternal blessing, we received a greater paternal blessing from the Holy Father, Pope Francis.  We can only pray for Archbishop Byrnes.  We move forward. 

Upon his arrival to Guam and even before meeting with the NCW. He supported and placed a moratorium on basically the most important charism of the NCW, its Catechesis. HE DID NOT even come to us to hear,see or listen to our experiences.

Despite the moratorium, we continue to move forward for the sake of our children.  We continue to walk the tripod: Word, Liturgy, and community.  We continue the monthly youth scrutacio, the pilgrimages, and so on.  We continue our walk for the sake of our children.  And even with a moratorium in place, look at what the NCW has accomplished.  We shook the dust off our feet and went elsewhere.  As a result, the first community of Palau and a new community in Saipan were born.  For the very first time, this new community in Palau stood with us in the Rome Pilgrimage.  The NCW brought 300 brothers to the pilgrimage. We can only pray for Archbishop Byrnes and hope that the Holy Spirit gives him a little candle to light his way into recognizing that the NCW is also part of his flock.  We move forward. 

Archbishop Michael Closed down the RMS. HE DID not see it as sustainable for this Archdioceses new direction.   

He did not set the Archdiocese in a new direction.  He actually set it backwards.  Before RMS existed in Guam, the Archdiocese of Agana went begging for priests mainly from the Philippines.  Without a seminary, Guam will be asking for more priests from the Philippines.  Our youth in the NCW who are inspired into the priesthood will not be priests for Guam since Archbishop Byrnes have already declared that he does not like those TYPE of priests.  According to Pacific News Center (the bold is mine): 
“The model of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary envisions a type of priesthood and the producing of priests that, frankly–that model, while it works in a place like Denver where there’s over a million catholics, or a place like Miami where there’s a couple million catholics that have this type of seminary–it’s very sustainable. But on a small island like ours,” explained Byrnes. “The main reason for closing the seminary is that it’s just not a sustainable model for the Archdiocese of Agana.”
We can only pray for Archbishop Byrnes and hope that the Holy Spirit gives him a little candle so that the little ray of light from that candle will allow him to see that all Catholic priests (Capuchins, Jesuits, Diocesans, Franciscans, etc.) are all called by God to serve Him and His entire Church, and should not be discriminated against.  We move forward.

Archbishop Michael did not accept the young men who were awaiting ordination to the Diaconate and eventually the priesthood. HE DID NOT accept their formation and ultimately their missionary zeal.

You tell me how'd you feel if you were a member of the NCW and had to experience this from your Archbishop. Not once has our catechists criticized the Archbishop for these things, instead they have told us to continually pray for him. 
Are these enough reasons for us to judge him? No. In fact we should never judge the anointed. What we are stating are the facts and we ask you to excuse us if from time to time we let our emotions dictate our choice of words.   

Our focus should always be on Christ, not on the Archbishop or any priest.  When we put Christ first in our lives and in the center of our activities, it would not matter whether Archbishop Byrnes persecutes us. The love of God is what we have.  Keep His love in your heart at all times, and it would not matter what persecution we face. Remember what Christ said, "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20).  Christians are not persecutors.  They are the persecuted.  

I dont know how our catechists, the mission families, Neo priests continue to do this despite all that is working against them but it is reason for us to continue and an example for us to strive to learn.

Honestly, I dont know how many times these past few years I have thought about just leaving my NCW community to satisfy those who want the NCW gone. Ive had and have the opportunity to do so at any time but the one thing that prevents me is the reality that the NCW has opened me up to a stronger relationship with Christ, the Holy Spirit continues to work in many ways through the NCW and it has been the NCW that has taught me about our Catholic Church and all its fullness.

Pas!
-Jokers Wild 

We continue to walk in the Way.  We continue to walk the tripod.  For the sake of our children, we move forward and continue to walk in the Way.  The things between us and them are irrelevant because in the end, what is between us and God is what matters. We continue to move forward. 

                                             ANYWAY
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway.