Archdiocese Fires Back at Critics, Vice Speaker and Ccog

By Janela Carrera
Pacific News Center
May 13, 2016

http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/local/9320


The Archdiocese of Agana says the attacks against the archbishop are made to incite hatred, ignorance violence.

Guam - The Archdiocese of Agana is firing back at their critics for what they call vicious attacks against Archbishop Anthony Apuron and they’re planning to take the people behind the attacks to court.

In a press release issued by the Archdiocese of Agana today, the church says the barrage of vicious attacks against Archbishop Anthony Apuron over the last three years only instills hatred, ignorance and violence.

They are responding to a series of allegations against the archbishop, from claims that he molested young boys in the 1970s and 80s, to alienating a multimillion dollar seminary property to orchestrating poison pill amendments on a bill that sought to lift a statute of limitations on pursuing civil suits for child sexual abuse cases.

Earlier in the week, the Concerned Catholics of Guam released paid advertisements calling on victims of sexual abuse to come forward. The ad specifies certain dates and locations which, according to Catholic blogger Tim Rohr, targeted Archbishop Apuron when he was a priest in the 1970s and 80s.

The press release does not deny the allegations of sexual abuse, however, it does state that the paid ads are “seeking to insinuate criminal sexual abuse by the Shepherd of the Catholic Church,” and that it “demonstrates that they have no proof to substantiate any allegations and that their purpose is to confuse and mislead the people or even to induce some to bring false testimony.”

The Archdiocese also responded to claims by Vice Speaker BJ Cruz that he overheard Archbishop Apuron on the phone ordering senators to make amendments to Cruz’s bill while on the session floor. The bill sought to lift a statute of limitations for taking civil action against organizations for child sexual abuse crimes.

Again, the press release does not deny that the Archbishop was on the phone with the senators back in 2010, however the release calls Cruz’s accusations “outlandish.”

The release also points out that the senator himself voted in favor of the bill even with the amendments Cruz complained about.

Finally, the Archdiocese once again answered back to allegations that he gave away the multimillion dollar Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Yona. The Archdiocese says the title still lists the Archdiiocese of Agana as the sole owner of the property and that the board of guarantors has no control over the property, they are only legally concerned with guaranteeing the purpose of the corporation which is the formation of priests.

The release also states that as part of the articles of incorporation for the RMS lists the archbishop as the sole member, giving him the ability to dissolve the corporation or designate its assets for whatever he decides.

“The Archdiocese of Agana is in the process of taking canonical measures with the Sacra Rota – the competent canonical tribunal – and filing civil lawsuit against those perpetrating these malicious lies.”

Late this afternoon, Archdiocese Spokesperson Father Edivaldo Oliveira told PNC that the Archbishop 100 percent denies any and all allegations of sexual abuse.

You can read the media release by clicking on the file below.