Blog Song

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Something To Reflect On

In my post More Will Be Coming, I wrote that there will be more sexual allegations coming forward.  I wrote that post on August 22, 2018.  Yesterday, on September 18th, another lawsuit was filed.  The story is reported in the Pacific Daily News.  The lawsuit named Father Louis Brouillard (who is in isolation) and Father Antonio Cruz (who is deceased) as the accused.  The alleged victim (J.W. who is 68 years old) is suing for 5 million dollars.  J.W. will not be the last alleged victim. More will be coming out to sue the Church.  

When Bill 326-33 was introduced into the Guam Legislature, the JungleWatch Nation worked for the passage of this bill.  In fact, Tim Rohr took it upon himself to apologize to the senators on behalf of the Catholic Church when the Church opposed the bill.  Yes, it is interesting to see that Rohr put himself as the spokesperson for the Church despite the fact that the Church never gave him that title.  Nevertheless, you can read his letter here.  According to Rohr's letter dated September 19, 2016: 
In this "script," Fr. Jeff San Nicolas clarifies that is is not we, the laity, who did not understand the consequences of the bill, but YOU, the Legislature. Fr. San Nicolas writes:

"We believe that the legislators in passing the bill...did not understand that the bill threatens the very existence of our parishes, schools and social agencies..."I

Aside from the fact that there is no evidence from the almost 20 years of seeing the effect of similar legislation in many stateside dioceses to support this claim, and aside from the fact that the social agencies (Catholic Social Services and Kamalin Karidat) are incorporated separately from the Archdiocese of Agana, I, and many other are simply staggered that Fr. San Nicolas believes that you did not UNDERSTAND what you were doing and why you were doing it when you voted to pass Bill 326-33. 
Notice that Rohr contradicted Father Jeff's statement.  Rohr stated that there is no evidence that the lifting of the statutes of limitations would threaten the existence of our parishes, school, and social agencies.  However, this is what Tim Rohr wrote on May 12, 2010 regarding a similar law that would lift the statutes of limitations.  You can find his letter here (the bold is mine):
Bills Could Cripple Church in Guam

By Tim Rohr
Tim Rohr
May 12, 2010

http://www.guampdn.com/article/20100512/OPINION02/5120330/1014/OPINION/Bills-could-cripple-Church-in-Guam

Let's be clear. We Catholics in the pews have no interest in defending clerical wrongdoing nor any attempt to hide it. We have been hit from both sides by the news of scandal among our clergy.

First, we are hurt by the news that any child would feel when a child hears bad news about one's own parent. Second, we are hurt by the slander hurled at the Church we consider to be our Mother.

It's difficult to know how to respond. We want to see the wrongs in our Church righted. Most of us are extremely saddened by news of these affairs, but we are also offended by the vicious self-righteousness of outsiders.

We will deal with it and move on, but in the meanwhile, there are some possible consequences all the people of Guam, not just Catholics, need to consider.

Should Bills 334 and 372 pass into law, and should moral entrepreneurs like SNAP, working in concert with local lawmakers hostile to the Church, get their way, the Church on Guam, even if it is innocent, may be forced (as per stateside precedent) to cough up millions of dollars to defend itself. The Archdiocese of Agana does not have millions of dollars, and even with insurance payments, could be forced to sell its properties, as several stateside dioceses have had to do.

The Boston Archdiocese, for example, was forced to close more than 65 churches and sell many other properties to pay for the settlements levied upon it in 2003. Should SNAP and Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz prevail, a few may benefit from punishing the Church, but almost all will pay. Here's why.

Currently, archdiocesan agencies are feeding, clothing and housing hundreds of homeless, helpless and aged. Catholic schools are educating 5,000 students per year at a saving to the taxpayer of $6,000 per student. Many hundreds of people are employed within the archdiocese and their paychecks represent income tax revenue to GovGuam. Lay members of the Church also provide countless volunteer hours of charitable works through its many organizations.

Should the Church become crippled by lawsuits and forced to begin shutting down its services and schools, GovGuam would need to pick up the tab.

But any negative reaction to these fiscal consequences will probably pale in comparison to what will happen once "Catholics in the pew" realize that their village church, and perhaps their alma mater, will have to be sold to pay for the costs inflicted upon the Church by the likes of SNAP as a result of Cruz's legislation.

Those churches and schools were built at great personal cost and sacrifice to the people in the pews and their ancestors. They are not likely to give them up without a fight -- a big one.

This is not alarm-ism. This is not exaggeration. This is a pattern. Moral entrepreneurs like SNAP, under the guise of protecting children, attack a diocese with allegations knowing that, even if they are unfounded, the seriousness of the allegations will precipitate a "hanging before the trial." Lawmakers cave to the manufactured moral panic and pass legislation to lift the statute of limitations. Decades-old cases are resurrected. Lawsuits follow, churches and schools are forced to close and services are curtailed.

I am all for exposing the wrongdoing in the Church. I experienced clerical sexual "abuse" as a teenager in Los Angeles. ("Abuse" is in quotes because I didn't stick around for the molestation part. I ran.)

Where there is wrongdoing in our Church, let's have it out. And let's not stop there.

The abuse of children is criminal wherever it occurs. Guam Child Protective Services reports an average of 250 child sex abuse cases per year, and experts tell us that the figure probably represents only 10 percent of the actual cases. Guess where most of that abuse occurs.
In 2010, Tim Rohr opposed the lifting of the statutes of limitations because he believed that the parishes, schools, and other services would be shut down.  Six years later, he changed his story.  He disagreed with Father Jeff who stated that the passage of the bill would threaten the existence of the parishes and school.  

So, to the junglefolks......who should you believe?  The Tim Rohr who claimed that lifting the statutes of limittions could shut down the parishes and schools or the same Tim Rohr who claimed that there is no evidence that the lifting of the statutes of limitations threatens the existence of the parishes and schools?  Is it not ironic that the person you follow changes according to his own agenda?  

The lawsuit filed against the Church yesterday will not be the last one.  More will be coming.  If anything, one should have paid more attention to what was happening in Boston.  According to the Boston Globe dated January 2017, hundreds of alleged victims from around the world still continue to come forward claiming they were sexually abused in the State of Massachusetts.  That is correct.  The sexual allegations continue to come even after FIFTEEN YEARS. 

An anonymous poster made the following comment below:  
AnonymousSeptember 18, 2018 at 2:05 PM 
Hope the lawyers have prepared their clients for the reality that they will not see a $5 million check. My guess after attorney's fees, each client may see a check of less than $10,000. Think about it. The Archdiocese does not the resources to pay big settlement checks.
From the PDN July 12, 2017:  
'On the topic of the church's current financial state, Duenas reported the archdiocese still owes more than $8 million for debt service and other payables. He said the church still owes $3.8 million for a bank loan taken out to pay for the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica, more than $2 million for the now-defunct St. Thomas Aquinas School and about $230,000 for the Epicure building in Hagåtña' 
The Archdiocese of Agana operating budget estimated revenue for FY 2018 is $2,561,377. Source http://umatuna.org/news/featured/what-is-the-current-financial-condition-of-the-archdiocese-of-agana/  
About 200 claims each seeking $5 million. 200 x $5 million is $1 billion. As of June 30, 2017, total amount of Archdiocese of Agana assets is $154,023,961. Go ahead and liquidate all assets. $154,023,961 for 200 claims. What do we have? About $770,120 per claim. And the loss of all Catholic Church properties. I guess we will have to celebrate Mass in homes as the early Christians did. Oh but, we can only celebrate the Mass on a consecrated altar!  
Alleged victims will be unhappy seeing just a fraction of the $5 million they each are seeking. Catholic faithful will be at a loss as to where has their Catholic Church gone. The only ones happy are all the lawyers involved who will reap hefty fees from settlements. Who will be the happiest for all this mess? Satan will smile and laugh at the destruction of the Catholic Church on Guam.        

22 comments:

  1. All this just to get rid of a good Archbishop Apuron where is " CCOG " where are those concerned Catholics of Guam what are they going to do when all the church properties are gone I guess they will be looking in the mirror every day what have I done while the lawyers go to the bank

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  2. I recall Tim saying something along the lines of doing what god thinks he should when it comes to situations.That he'd doubt it at first and then get a sign that he should do it.
    I recently read an article saying that Satan can even trick a person by acting in "holy" forms.Since he is a fallen angel he can mimic such things.Which is why we must always be careful with these things.Perhaps Tim was tricked and did not even realize it.If he had been doing the right thing wouldn't he be happy? The church on Guam is suffering because of it and he's suffering too.But it is not a good suffering.

    Let's hypothetically say that he really did sexually harass his kids and beat his wife.What is he doing pretending he didn't? I think his family is ignoring his pleas for them to come back because he acts innocent about it.If he really did do those mistakes then he should admit he did and apologize.That really is the best thing to do.I feel if these things are true about him,he doesn't want to admit them because people who trust him will hate him for it.But didn't Tim say that vindication before God is the only thing that matters? If that's the case,why does he care so much about what people think about him? If vindication before god is what matters then why does Tim wear a mask? God prefers the man who admits his sins,over someone who hides them.
    Pray for that man.
    He's got a lot of demons.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous at 6:17 pm,

      Tim is unreliable because he contradicts himself and changes his story a lot. In 2010, he is highly critical of SNAP. Then, in 2015, he approves of SNAP and works alongside with them. In 2017, he distance himself from SNAP and once again becomes highly critical of them. If I can see how unreliable he is through his writing, then his wife can see the same thing in his character. She must have had a difficult time trying to rely and trust a husband who says one thing and then contradicts himself the next time around.

      Delete
    2. Ummmm Diana, you are no better then tim with reliability. But then again, who are we to judge anyone?

      Delete
    3. Dear Anonymous at 9:00 pm,

      I never said that I was better than him. 🙄

      Delete
  3. I wonder whether the Archdiocese has insurance and can pay out of the insurance?

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  4. >you are no better then Tim
    >who are we to judge
    Make up your mind anon.
    No one said they are better than him.
    Guess someone's running out of things to bash this blog on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Running out of things? Actually I'm not but maybe you are since most of the issues are already past and it's still being brought up as if it's now rather then being left alone in the past. Doesn't matter whether it's tim or Diana or a Catholic vs a neo, the accusations will continue till one decides to leave the past in the past and move forward.

      The investigations have started and the rotten trees are being found and hopefully taken down

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    2. Dear Anonymous at 4:21 pm,

      Please read the post. This post is about Rohr's hypocrisy regarding what he believed about the statutes of limitations. Pointing out these inconsistencies is necessary for people to realize the truth of what the jungle had done. They misled others to harm the church in Guam.

      Delete
    3. And what about your inconsistencies too? Both sides share the same

      Delete
  5. When I hate, I don't need to say so. It will be visible to others by my words and action. If I think I am superior over the weak and feeble, I don't need to say so. It will come through my attitude. Our catechists tell us not to wear a mask. We should show who we are. Other people will see us as we are, anyway. My love for my brother will shine through. If I don't have love for my brother, people will see that anyhow. I cannot hide my emotion behind words. The Lord said go up to the house tops and announce the Good News. When people look at you, they'll know who is trying to impress by the Word of God.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Diana, please, look at the big picture. This thing has grown out of Guam way beyond the jungle< CCOG and the LFM. It is not the act of a handful of disgruntled Catholics anymore. It came to the attention of civil authorities on the mainland and they will take definite action. There is no human being who could stop this by now.

    We have to weather out this typhoon/ hurricane and once it is settled we have to assess the damage, repair and live with whatever is left for the future. Historian will record in their books that the storm was started in a faraway little Pacific Ocean island, named Guam.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Faithfully yours at 8:04AM,

      You say 'Historian will record in their books that the storm was started in a faraway little Pacific Ocean island, named Guam.' You are greatly mistaken. Child sexual abuse occurred even in the early church 70 AD.

      https://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-wilhelm/the-long-scandal-a-histor_b_560904.html

      'the Catholic Church has been struggling with the abuse of minors (usually boys) by members of the Priesthood since the earliest days of the church; and the Church tended to deal with the problem both internally and ineffectively.'

      Unfortunately, history repeats itself.

      Delete
    2. Dear Anonymous at 8:04 a,

      The article you cited is incorrect. The author who wrote that article is not even a Christian. He is the same person who wrote "Why Christianity Must Adapt or Perish".

      https://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-wilhelm/christianity-must-adapt-w_b_552729.html

      In Early Christianity, most of the sexual abuse was found among the Roman pagans and pagan societies. However, it was not referred as child sexual abuse. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul used the Greek word " ARSENOKOITAI" in reference to them. It means "homosexuals". The term is found in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10.

      Delete
    3. when these abuse lawsuits are filed, say against the deceased priest from Asan, Father Ray and Monsignor Leon Guerrero, is there any investigations made at the parish level because after reading J.A. and J.R. court documents, so much lies are being made. take for instance the statement made by J.R. who said that Father Ray was the confirmation class teacher for CCD... what the hell?? what a flat out lie.... If the church is going to just mediate and payout to these liars, something is very wrong with the world... and that claim by J.A. that he was raped on his birthday and then later in the year 1984 he was raped again during asan fiesta?? Well back then, asan fiesta had always been the first village fiesta of every new year...so birthday and fiesta in 1984 could not have been unless homeboy was born on new years day??? not. plus grandpa A. was never active in the asan parish until Father Rudy was the pastor.... a little more questioning from the parishioners will contradict EVERY SINGLE CLAIM FROM THE 3 JUDAS'S.... ALL IT TAKES IS AN AFFIDAVIT FROM WILLING PARISHIONERS OF ASAN TO SIDE WITH TRUTH.

      Delete
    4. Dear Anonymous at 10:36 pm,

      I edited your comment by removing the names of the accusers who used their initials.

      Delete
  7. Dear Anonymous at 10:36 pm,

    Sadly, there are no investigations. To settle out of court means that the alleged victims agree to drop their lawsuits against the Church after receiving a settled agreement of whatever amount was agreed on. Without an investigation, it is difficult to determine who the real victims are. The law not only opens the door to scammers, but will also victimize thousands more when scammers defraud the church.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diana, if you know alternative for the settlements, then you should talk about it. I don't see any other realistic way out of the quagmire. The church has neither man power nor authority to conduct a thorough investigation. Also, canon law does not apply to lay people.

      Imagine if a claim would be denied, then the church could face accusation of malfeasance. Unfortunately, it is very clear that there are real victims who tell the truth. This is a big trouble already. Who will tell the sheep from the goat, the real victims from the fake ones? The church does not want to get itself into even bigger troubles. I am sure Archbishop Byrnes got instruction from Vatican to settle.

      If you think, investigation could help in this situation, you may ask the attorney general to look into the cases. Civil authorities have the right to question or interrogate abuse victim claims.

      Pray that the settlements could bring the church on Guam peace and serenity.

      Delete
    2. Dear Faithfully yours,

      This entire mess was created by the Junglewatch Nation, CCOG, and LFM. I am leaving it up to them to clean up their own mess.

      Delete
    3. Dear Diana, this entire mess was created by a group of self-indulgent, self-righteous lay people who took it for granted that God was on their side. They did not follow allegiance to their Archbishop and they disobeyed him. Their secret hatred was manifested when they made false claims and unjustified charges. When their masks fell we could see their viciousness on their face.

      Disobedience is what the devil imbues in the heart of the proud. Another group of disobedient people, this time clergy, was revealed as pedophiles, abusers and homosexuals. This evil runs deep in the undercurrent of the church's hierarchy. How to retribute the victims? How to uproot sin by making the sinner cringe in guilt and sorrow?

      We have to face reality as in our life and in our communities. When we reach to a point of no return, we must push forward and break through. Nobody else will clean up the mess around us if we don't. This mess includes the perpetrator as well as the observer. There is no middle way out but resolving in good faith.

      Pray that our church and communities will attain peace and serenity through obedience to our Lord, honestly facing challenges and seeking out to undo the wrongs of the past.

      Delete
    4. I find that hard to believe that through all the court filings, lawyers and the mediation process that the church will sit back and pay every victim without checking the validity of the accusations. And please don't blame JW,CCOG or LFM. Blame the past Bishops who knew about the abuse and did not do nothing. To some people the church is their sanctuary, it is unfortunate that some of these abuses occurred in the church. With some Dioceses in the States and elsewhere being exposed on sex abuse, I think the Catholic faith as a whole is being examined under a microscope.

      Delete
    5. Dear Anonymous at 11:39 am,

      See my response in the weblink below:

      https://neocatechemunal.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-response.html

      Delete