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.

Happy Easter!

 He is risen, truly risen!  

Pray for Father Julio

Please continue to pray for Father Julio Malagon, who is currently in ICU with severe pancreatictis. Also, pray for Father Miguel, who has been at his side.  The seminary of Brooklyn also needs our prayers.  

Heartbeat Bill Petition

A petition is being circulated among the Neocatechumenal Way communities to support the Guam Heartbeat Bill.  The petition was started by Senator Telena Nelson. Please sign the petition below to show your support for the bill, banning abortion 

Petition

Heartbeat Bill

Kudos to Senators Telena Nelson, Chris Duenas, Tony Ada, and Frank Blas Jr. for introducing the Heartbill law, which was patterned after the Texas law.  The bill prohibits doctors from performing an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.  The bill would only allow an abortion when the woman’s life is in danger.  According to The Pacific Daily News:

The “Guam Heartbeat Act of 2022” prohibits doctors from performing abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Exceptions are made for medical emergencies “where a pregnant woman would lose her life or her health would be severely impaired.”

The passage of this bill would save thousands of unborn babies and would also for couples to act more responsibly toward sex.  Archbishop Michael also came out and publicly supported the bill.  You can read Archbishop Michael’s letter here.  We are hoping and praying that the bill would pass the Guam Legislature.  Again, a big thank you to Telena Nelson, Chris Duenas, Tony Ada, and Frank Blas Jr.  

Witnesses to God's Miracles

 A mission family from Ukraine has returned to Spain and recounted their journey back home.  The mission family had 10 children.  It is not surprising to find that members of the Way have large families for we are open to life.  In fact, some of the couples in the Way have also adopted children into their family.  Two of the mission families are seminarians and have decided to stay in Ukraine.  It is also not surprising to find that some of the youth in the Way have been inspired into the priesthood.  When families walk together in the Church, the children often become closer to God and His Church.  At any rate, their story was recounted in Catholic News Agency:

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Missionary family returns to Spain from Ukraine: 'We witnessed God's miracles'

Burgos, Spain, Mar 8, 2022 / 14:35 pm

César Campomar and María Auxiliadora Hernando and their ten children have lived in Ukraine since 1997 where they went to evangelize as members of the Neocatechumenal Way.  The family had to flee Ukraine because of the war and arrived in Burgos from Kyiv last Thursday.

Before serving in Ukraine, they lived as missionaries in Belarus for six years but they were given "an ultimatum because they knew we were from the Church" and so they were given a new assignment in Ukraine.

The family decided to leave Ukraine shortly after Russia’s invasion.

César, María Auxiliadora, and seven of their ten children, along with their respective wives and children, headed for the border to try to make it back to Spain. Two of their children who are seminarians decided to remain, and another lives in Murcia, Spain.

All together there were 25 people: 13 adults and 12 children. Two of them returned by plane, and the rest left in three vans. It took them a week to get to Burgos.The family crossed the border with Hungary because "it was easier than doing it through Poland," and stopped in Trieste and Nice along the way. 

The Campomar Hernando family told the Archdiocese of Burgos that they "witnessed God’s miracles for us” during the trip of over 2,250 miles.

They were held up at the border crossing for 13 hours and could get only about five gallons of fuel at each gas station. In addition, some of their vehicles broke down, but  "thanks to the generosity of the people" they met, the problems were taken care of.

"Some of the babies only had birth certificates,” but they lacked official documentation. However, “they were treated well" by authorities, said César.

Maria Auxiliadora said that given the terrible situation in Ukraine they want to discover “the hand of God in all this … May he help us discover his will.”

Priest in Ukraine

We have been very busy fundraising for our trip to Israel.  The youth are very excited and looking forward to this pilgrimage, which will take place during the summer.  This will be the second pilgrimage to Israel that the Way in Guam has organized.  I was not in the first pilgrimage to Israel, but I will be on this second one.  So, we have all been very busy with fundraising and making plans for the pilgrimage.  

We have heard about the priest and the NCW in Ukraine during the Lenten and Easter Announcement.  A letter was sent by a priest in Ukraine and read to the communities.  The letter was very inspiring.  A majority of the brothers in the NCW in Ukraine stayed behind despite the bombings in their country, and they continue to pray for the enemy and help the people of Ukraine.  Some of the Spanish missionary families in Ukraine returned to their country, but the seminarians walking in the Way chose to stay in Ukraine.  At any rate, I found a couple of story about the NCW in Ukraine.  Of course, the NCW is also in Russia, and they are also praying for peace.  The NCW in Guam continue to pray for peace.  Our prayers and hearts go out to the people of Ukraine, and we pray for the conversion of heart of Putin. The following story was published in Catholic News Agency:

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Priest staying in Ukraine with his parishioners: 'God gives me the strength'

Kyiv, Ukraine, Mar 29, 2022 / 15:49 pm

Father Pedro Zafra is a 31-year-old priest from Córdoba, Spain, who arrived in Kyiv in 2011 for priestly formation. He was ordained last June and is a member of the Neocatechumenal Way. The priest serves the parish of the Assumption of the Virgin in the Ukrainian capital.

Despite the outbreak of war, the priest decided to stay with his parishioners and not leave the country. "It was an inner battle," he said, adding that he found the answer in prayer with a passage from the Gospel which "spoke of the mission and the support of God's grace to carry it forward," and that’s why he decided to stay.

Until Feb. 24, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, life in the parish was like that in any other. But since the start of the war, the parish has become a reception center, where more than 20 parishioners are sheltered in the basement because their houses weren’t safe enough.

“We have several elderly people in wheelchairs, families with their small and adolescent children, and some young missionaries,” Fr. Zafra told the Spanish daily ABC, and stressed that living through this situation in community “helps us a lot to cope with it.”

"I’m not a hero. I couldn't handle this situation by myself. It’s God who gives me strength through prayer and the sacraments,” he said.

"There are times when I become a little anxious in the meaninglessness of not understanding the human reason for what is happening, but now I have found much more meaning in prayer and the sacraments, which give me the grace not to flee and persevere with those who are suffering,” the priest explained.

Fr. Zafra said this improvised community gets up at 7:30 am, prays together, has breakfast, and then spends the morning doing different tasks. In his case he usually visits the sick and elderly who can’t leave their homes, to bring them Communion and anything they may need.

In addition, according to ABC, the Assumption of the Virgin parish functions as a distribution center for humanitarian aid because many people, including non-believers, come there every day to ask for material and financial help.

The vast majority of basic services such as gas stations, supermarkets, and pharmacies remain open and Fr. Zafra says that they go about normally, although on occasion they have heard explosions in the distance.

The parish also continues its activities with relative normality, although they have rescheduled Mass earlier so the faithful can return to their homes before curfew, and at times with the risk of bombing they moved the celebration to the basement. In recent weeks they have celebrated two First Communions and three weddings.

The priest also noted that this last month the number of people who attend Mass has increased. “People come looking for an answer to suffering. Before they had their job, their life project and now all that has disappeared, they no longer have any security and they are looking for an answer from God,” the priest told ABC.

Fr. Zafra stressed the great suffering of the Ukrainian people: “There is a lot of tension, concern for security, for life itself. The uncertainty created by not knowing what’s going to happen, living from day to day. We don't know if we're going to be alive tomorrow or not."

Easter Announcement

 We had our Easter Announcement last night.  Father Krzysztof conducted the entire Announcement with the help of Father Harold.  David and his wife were in Hawaii and will be returning soon.  As usual, introductions were the first order of business.  The Bible says that what comes from God will never die out. The NCW in Guam is here to stay.

We heard more news from the NCW in Ukraine.  They are standing strong.  The letter they sent was very inspiring.  They do not hate the enemy.  Rather, they continue to pray for their enemies.  Remarkably, they also continue to walk and even established a school to continue the education of the children....all this in the midst of a war. Many of them remain in Ukraine with their families.  

After the Announcement, the youth of the different communities in Guam held a bake sale.  The funds will go to their pilgrimage to Israel.  This summer, the NCW in Guam will be traveling to Israel for a pilgrimage. Many adults and youth of the NCW Guam communities will be in Israel.  I am sure that many of our youth will find the pilgrimage inspiring...so inspiring that some may feel the calling to a religious life.  What an opportunity God has given us!  Imagine that we will be in the Holy Land walking in the same place Jesus once walked more than 2000 years ago.  The NCW in the United States will also be in Israel, so we will meet up with them.  All praise and glory goes to God as He opened up this pilgrimage for us!  

Moving Forward

The Church needs to move forward by getting out of bankruptcy.  While it is true that many of the parish and school properties will be taken to pay out the alleged victims, it is important to get out of bankruptcy so we can move forward and rebuild our Church.  And when we are finally out of bankruptcy, the Archdiocese can proceed to protect the rest of the parish and school properties.  Of course, many innocent people will be hurt as they either lose the properties or make sacrifices to try and purchase back the properties so the parishes and schools can function.  

However, there will be properties we cannot take back.  For example, the Creditors are interested in obtaining the soup kitchen.  So, who suffers when the soup kitchen is taken away?  It will mainly be the homeless and the poor who depend on the soup kitchen for food.  These are some of the innocent victims impacted by the law initiated and passed by the JungleWatch Nation and our local secular government. The Church is simply going to have to find another way to feed the homeless and the poor.  

As I have previously said so many times on my blog, the law initiated and passed by the JungleWatch Nation is an unjust law because it aims to punish only innocent people.  Bishop Anthony Apuron will not be paying anything out of his pocket, and he still retains his title as “Bishop.”  The dead priests whom many of the alleged victims are blaming for their alleged sexual abuse are also not going to pay anything out of their own pockets. They are dead!  The only ones suffering are innocent people such as the parishioners who will have to pay out of their own wallets to buy back their parish properties.  The homeless and poor will also suffer with the closure of the soup kitchen, Kamalen Karidot.  As Archbishop Michael stated in his letter:

I acknowledge the many intense emotions of our Catholic Faithful during this journey of atonement, reparation and reorganization. You are angry, saddened, frustrated and bewildered.  It is understandable.  Many of you have toiled, sacrificed and contributed to building and sustaining our schools and parishes in numerous ways that span generations.

These people who expressed anger, deep sorrow, frustration, and bewilderment at the meetings are innocent people.  They are now the victims along with the homeless and the poor.  These are the innocent people victimized by the JungleWatch Nation who initiated and worked for the passage of a law that will deprive innocent people of property and food. If this law had not been passed, we would not be where we are today.

Nevertheless, I see a great lesson to be learned from all this.  A new Church must be built from all this destruction wrought by fellow Catholics.  We need to rebuild our Church…..a Church where the flock will look more toward the riches and rewards of Heaven rather than to the treasures of this world….a Church that will know the true meaning of forgiveness.

I have heard many Catholics say, “I forgive you, but I will never forget what you did.”  This is not true forgiveness.  When God forgives, He forgets all our past sins and starts with a clean slate with us.  We know that there are Catholics who say, “I forgive you, but I want compensation for the wrongs or sins you caused against me.”  This is also not true forgiveness. Christ was falsely accused and wrongly executed, but He never asked any compensation from us for nailing Him to the cross. We need to give proper catechesis so our Catholic brothers can understand that healing comes only from Jesus Christ, not from money or the treasures of this earth.

Signs of Events

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Agat is closed for now because the flooring at the altar caved in and therefore unsafe to hold Mass inside the church building.  Many people have been speculating about this disaster.  Some say the disaster happened because of the child sex abuse cases.  Some view it as God's anger toward the clergy.  Some place the blame on Father Alberto, the pastor of Mount Carmel while others, who were more logical and realistic, blame it on the old flooring. 

Nevertheless, one thing is very clear.  It is the parishioners of Agat who are suffering from the closure of their parish.  However, it is also interesting to note that everything started in the village of Agat with Tim Rohr, "the Agat Boys" along with the JungleWatch Nation.  Let us not forget that it was the entire JungleWatch nation (which includes CCoG, LFM, Silent No More and their affiliations) that initiated and worked for the passage of a bill that would close down parishes and Catholic schools.  

Many people in Guam often read signs of events.  Did it ever occur to anyone that perhaps the closure of the Agat parish is a sign of things to come?  The judge had already ruled against the Archdiocese, stating that all parishes and Catholic schools are assets of the Archdiocese of Agana.  So, perhaps, God is telling all Catholic parishioners to prepare themselves for the great suffering that is to come.  Even Archbishop Michael indicated in his letter that it will be painful for all of us.  Just remember that Bishop Anthony and the Neocatechumenal Way had nothing to do with the passage of Bill 326.  All I can say is that if this bill had never been initiated and passed, we would not be where we are today.    

Pacific Daily News:
Laity Forward Movement and other supporters hold a prayer vigil outside the Governor's Office on Sept. 19 in hopes of the passage of Bill 326 into law. The bill would lift the time restrictions...