Concerned Catholics reject Apuron decree

By Johanna Salinas
Guam Daily Post
June 14, 2016

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/concerned-catholics-reject-apuron-decree/article_04c8e716-3202-11e6-ae24-4bd55ae3b866.html

A group of Catholics calling for the resignation of Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron recently held a protest rally at the Agana Cathedral. Photo by Louella Losinio

On June 14, the Concerned Catholics of Guam wrote a letter to Pope Francis responding to Archbishop Anthony Apuron’s June 5 decree of banning the group. The letter was sent by Tim Rohr, blogger of Jungle Watch, and was addressed to Pope Francis.

Apuron’s decree titled “Concerning the group so-called ‘Concerned Catholics of Guam’” accused the CCOG of various acts against the church. Apuron labeled them “a prohibited society” for the archdiocese because of their protests against the church hierarchy.

In the CCOG’s letter, Rohr defended the group’s protests. “The Catholic faithful are not obliged to preserve communion with an Ordinary who has violated the trust of the Catholic faithful not just by what is enumerated supra, but by his public threats to take legal action against those who have accused him of sexual molestation rather than provide the duty of care already expressly asked for and required by the Church,” Rohr wrote.

In the letter, Rohr also addressed the ongoing sex abuse allegation made against Apuron. “This Ordinary has violated his own archdiocesan sex abuse policy mandating a duty of care to persons claiming to have suffered sex abuse at the hands of clergy, namely the Ordinary himself; and this Ordinary has threatened all Catholics of this archdiocese with legal action should they publicly join their voices in support of those persons accusing this Ordinary of the sexual molestation of minors,” Rohr wrote.

Not afraid

Rohr has stated on his blog that he is not afraid of a lawsuit by the church. He reaffirmed this when he wrote, “The CCOG and its supporters are willing and able to demonstrate in a court of law, if necessary, that this Ordinary has abused his authority and the people in his care in a multitude of ways.”

Rohr ended the letter by dismissing the decree and demanding an apology from Apuron.

“The CCOG firmly, unequivocally, and categorically reject this (decree), and 1) Require forthwith the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana to publicly rescind the subject decree, and 2) Require forthwith a public apology from its signers: (Archbishop Apuron) and Rev. Adrian Cristobal, chancellor. Consequently, failure to do so will require the CCOG to pursue both canonical and civil remedies.”