Setting the Record Straight #2

It was brought to my attention a while back that Troy Torres in Kandit News had some negative things to say about the Neocatechumenal Way and Bishop Anthony Apuron.  The jungle also published Troy’s opinions in its blog. I did not pay much attention to it because Troy was relating his opinions and perspective on his situation at the time.  His opinions and perspectives were not at all based on facts, but more on his emotions.  In his first opinion piece, Troy wrote:

As fate would have it, moments after that heartbreaking call, my friend who I was going to start Candit with — Carlos Pangelinan — called me with news about his research on the name of my accuser.  He worked his magic and found an obituary of my accuser’s father.  His grand uncle was then - Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron.

It made sense.  I wasn’t the target at all.  I was just collateral damage, and a way to get the story out faster.  Now I knew why this idiot accused Jeryl, too.  It had everything to do with his father, David Lujan.  A few phone calls later from various sources confirmed what I never would have considered: The Neocatechumenal Way had manufactured and orchestrated the entire thing. 

Being related to a person is not a crime nor does it indicate any involvement in a crime.  As for the various sources whom Troy mentioned, who were they?  If they were all anti-Neo, then naturally they had nothing good to say about the NCW?  However, did Troy speak to then Archbishop Anthony or any of the leaders of the NCW to get their side of the story?  After all, that is what a journalist is supposed to do. Nevertheless, Troy was not speaking as a journalist.  What he wrote was his opinion and his perspective, based on his experience and emotions rather than on facts.  I supposed this is why he titled his opinion as “MY Truth” (the emphasis is on the word “My”). 

According to Troy, those accusations came around September, 2017.  Archbishop Anthony was not even in Guam at that time.  He left Guam on May 24, 2016, which was over a year before those accusations came out against Troy.  Archbishop Anthony went to Rome to request for a canonical trial.  He did not go after Troy or anyone else.  Why would he when his main concern at that time was clearing his name.  

As for his second opinion piece, he implied that Father John Wadeson was accused of child sexual abuse and covered up by the NCW.  However, he failed to mention that Father John was already cleared of those sexual abuse allegations after an investigation was done.  According to KUAM news dated April 14, 2015:

Archdiocese reinstates priest following LA investigation

The Archdiocese of Agana has reinstated Father John Wadeson to practice ministry in Guam. Last July Archbishop Anthony Apuron removed the priest following the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), calling on him to have him removed.

SNAP said Fr. Wadeson was accused twice of child molestation and had been banned from the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles conducted a thorough re-examination of the whole issue concerning the alleged accusations against Father Wadeson. They had concluded that there is no reason to preclude Father Wadeson from serving in priestly ministry, showing that all the rumors and alleged calumnies against him were unfounded. 

Troy also mentioned Father Luis Camacho, Father Adrian Cristobal, and Bishop Anthony Apuron.  Father Luis was never charged with child sexual abuse.  He was charged with custodial interference by the Guam Police Department.  Accusations of child sexual abuse only came from the jungle.  Nevertheless, Father Luis was cleared of any sexual misconduct by the Holy See.  See the evidence here.

As for Father Adrian, there is a lot of doubt surrounding the accusations against him.  According to Pacific News Center, one of the alleged victims claimed that Father Adrian sexually abused and raped him for 15 years by the time he was 11 years old.  The sexual abuse stopped in 2013 when the alleged victim was 25 years old.  The sexual abuse was made public in 2018, and the alleged victim could even file a criminal report on Father Adrian because the statutes of limitations in this case was not yet over. However, the alleged victim filed a 5 million dollar civil lawsuit instead.  That alone is suspect.  

As for Bishop Apuron, he was found guilty by the Holy See, but the Holy See never disclosed what he was guilty of. According to Catholic News Agency:

Apuron was in March 2018 found guilty of "certain" unspecified charges and sentenced to be removed and prohibited from living within the Archdiocese of Agana. He immediately filed an appeal.

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

Having 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 told CNA last year.

The Catholic News Agency was correct.  The CDF never stated what charges he was found guilty.  The following was a Press Release from the Vatican on Bishop Anthony’s guilty verdict.  Nowhere in that press release did it even say he was guilty of child sexual abuse.  

The canonical trial in the matter of accusations, including accusations of sexual abuse of minors, brought against the Most Reverend Anthony Sablan APURON, OFMCap., 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.

Despite that the Vatican never revealed the charges he was found guilty, most people naturally assumed it was child sexual abuse, and that became the end of it. However, this is my opinion….I believe that Bishop Anthony was found guilty over something that had nothing to do with child sexual abuse otherwise he would have been laicized like the rest of the bishops found guilty of the same offense.  I believe the Vatican decided to deliver a guilty verdict to protect him from those who threatened his life if he were to return to Guam.