Vatican diplomats traveling from Rome were expected to arrive on island yesterday evening, and at least one member of the delegation is expected to attend the governor's inauguration on Monday, according to the governor's office.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fair, secretary of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; Archbishop Martin Krebs, apostolic delegate to the Pacific Islands; and Reverend Father Tadeusz Nowak will be on island until Jan. 10, according to the Archdiocese of Agana.

The governor's inauguration will take place Monday morning on the front lawn at Adelup. Krebs is expected to attend, according to the governor's office.

Concerned Catholics

While the archdiocese stated in a December release that the trip is a "pastoral visit to foster reconciliation and mutual understanding in the archdiocese," some local organizations are disputing the claim.

In mid-December, a nonprofit group called the Concerned Catholics of Guam Inc. announced its plans to investigate the management of the local church, its financial books and the archdiocese's handling of accusations of sexual molestation against Archbishop Anthony Apuron, news files state.

Apuron, who is planning a defamation lawsuit to defend the church, called the allegation a "horrible calumny," but declined to comment further.

According to news files, some of Guam's Catholics have publicly voiced concerns and sent letters to the Vatican about some of Apuron's decisions, including the firing of Monsignor James Benavente, who was rector of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica for two decades.

The Cathedral-Basilica museum, a project led by Benavente, was shut down by the archdiocese before the museum's artifacts and relics could be viewed by the public.

The archdiocese took out a loan to develop the museum and also received numerous donations of labor and materials to build it, news files state.

Accusations

In addition to the concerns related to Apuron, a former Guam resident who now lives in California came forward in November with accusations that Apuron had molested a relative of his.

The accuser, John Toves, has alleged that Apuron molested his relative about 30 years ago when Apuron was a priest.

The victim has not come forward.

The alleged abuse occurred at a high school seminary on Guam where both Toves and his relative were co-seminarians and altar boys, Toves previously said.

Toves went to the archdiocese to meet with Apuron in the presence of local media, but Apuron has declined to see Toves, news files state.