SNAP Backs Archbishop Apuron's Dismissal of Father Gofigan

Pacific News Center
July 25, 2013

http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36312:snap-backs-archbishop-apurons-dismissal-of-father-gofigan&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156

Guam- The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [SNAP] has issued a statement backing Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron's decision to dismiss Father Pual Gofigan as the Pastor of Dededo's Santa Barbara Church.

David Clohessy, the St. Louis Director of SNAP, urges the Archbishop to stand by his decision to fire Father Gofigan. [see SNAP statement below]

Clohessy calls it "outrageous that any individual would rather put his career before the safety of children, let alone a man who is supposed to be considered as a community representative and leader." And he also urges the parishioners of the Dededo Church to "speak out against Gofigan's choice to endanger the safety of their children."

The SNAP statement incorrectly asserts that Father Gofigan failed to fire the convicted sex offender from his maintenance position at the church. Father Gofigan says he did fire the man 3 years ago, as instructed by the Archbishop. However, the Archdiocese has charged that Father Gofigan allowed the man's association with the Church to continue in a volunteer capacity.

In a July 16th letter to Father Gofigan, Archbishop Apuron demanded the priest's immediate resignation accuses him of disobeying his orders to dismiss the man writing "you have in effect caused grave harm to the parish by allowing such an individual with a publicly known sex-offense record to work in the Church thus exposing him to your parishioners, especially the youth."

Father Gofigan has defended his association with the man saying that the crime was committed 32 years ago and involved an adult, not a child.

Father Gofigan told PNC News said the man was "very young, was on drugs, alcohol, and he did something very, very wrong. He raped an adult and he served his time," said Father Gofigan. But he explained that the man "...has since repented. And when I met him I felt the contriteness in his heart and his repentance and his desire to come back to the Church."

Father Gofigan has refused to resign and hired a canon lawyer saying he intends to fight for his rights.

READ the release from SNAP below:

Priest fired for keeping sex offender employed

SNAP | Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: July 25, 2013

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

A priest from the Santa Barbara Catholic Church in Guam was fired for failing to remove a sex offender from the parish.

Father Paul Gofigan had been instructed by Archbishop Anthony Apuron to fire a predator who worked at the church but failed to do so believing the crime was too far in the past, therefore putting children in harm's way. Gofigan now wishes to seek a canonical hearing in order to defend his careless decision and save his career.

We urge the Archbishop to stand by his decision of firing Father Gofigan. It is outrageous that any individual would rather put his career before the safety of children, let alone a man who is supposed to be considered as a community representative and leader. We also urge the parishioners of the Santa Barbara Catholic Church to speak out against Gofigan's choice to endanger the safety of their children.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 12,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)