Klitzkie: Hon wasted his opportunity, turned back on survivors

By Robert Klitzki
Pacific Daily News
June 26, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/opinion/2016/06/26/klitzkie-hon-wasted-his-opportunity-turned-back-survivors/86371486/

Kliztkie

Justice requires broadening the reach of Bill 326-33 to provide relief not only to those who have suffered at the hands of child sexual abusers, but others, to include not only the abusers but also their enablers, aiders or abettors, those acting in concert with them and their religious institutions or corporations sole.

The three C’s are referenced here: condonation, cover-up and conspiracy. Recent history tells us that the three C’s were all too prevalent in the worldwide Catholic church. The institutional hierarchy of the church condoned, covered up and conspired to prevent victims of child sexual abuse from attaining justice.

When allegations of these heinous acts first surfaced on our island, my inclination was that whoever may have committed those acts should be made to pay but that the institution, i.e. the archdiocese or corporation sole, need not be held liable in order that justice be available to victims whose claims had been barred by the running of the statute of limitations. If the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse were eliminated prospectively and reopened retroactively, the hierarchy and processes of the church would be sufficient to “clean up” the church so that child sexual abuse would become no more than a bad memory, I thought.

I was wrong. Very wrong.

Scandal now saturates the church — scandal so egregious that the pope has sent an apostolic administrator, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, to take over the archdiocese in the stead of Anthony Apuron, who still retains the naked title of archbishop. Hon came here with tremendous potential to do good. Hon came on personal appointment of the pope to clean up the mess that befalls our church.

Not only is Hon on personal assignment from the pope, but he holds the No. 2 position of that part of Vatican governance that has primary jurisdiction of the way bishops handle child sexual abuse amongst the clergy.

Hon wasted his opportunity. Hon was greeted by Catholics who had high hopes for his success in cleaning up the mess and had the authority to start the clean-up. Hon almost immediately dashed those hopes. Notwithstanding the command that with respect to child sexual abuse survivors “priority must not be given to any other kind of concern."

Hon has figuratively, and in one case literally, actually turned his back on survivors. Carrying the analogy a little further, Hon’s minions have literally locked the door on survivors who would file claims dealing with their abuse at the hands of Apuron.

While he holds nearly plenary power with respect to child sex abuse and to the survivors thereof, Hon has done nothing but occasionally imply that survivors’ complaints may be resolved against them in favor of Apuron.

Hon has not only retained key members of Apuron’s corrupt regime, but enshrined them on committees that have little to do with the reason Hon was sent here. Hon maintains a social calendar and tolerates publications that serve to prop up the naked title of Apuron as though his return is imminent. Hon allowed Apuron’s vindictive, draconian gag order against faithful Catholics to actually take effect before he reluctantly rescinded it, at the same time rescinding another Apuron gag order on a Catholic who had blown the whistle on Apuron’s purposely keeping the diocesan child sexual abuse policy weak in order to protect himself.

Hon has demonstrated that if an end is to be put to child sexual misconduct, it won’t be done by church hierarchy, at least not while Hon is involved. It must be accomplished by laymen. Given the proper tools, i.e. an abatement of the statute of limitations and a clear statement that the child sexual abusers, their enablers, aiders or abettors, those acting in concert with them and their institutions or corporations sole, if not the entire hierarchy of the Catholic church can be held liable for child sexual abuse, we may be forever subjected to the effects of the Hons of the church.

Were it not for the abysmal performance of the hierarchy of Rome, as evidenced by Archbishop Hon, I would be urging the (Legislature) to adopt something like the following:

“Civil immunity for corporations sole. Every corporation sole organized pursuant to 18 GCA Section 10102, shall be immune from civil liability for any act of child sexual abuse committed by any officer, employee, agent, religious functionary or volunteer of said corporation sole giving rise to personal liability to said officer, employee, agent, religious functionary or volunteer.”

Hon has shown me the wrongheadedness of that approach. Only a vigorous laity, able to invoke the judicial power, can be depended upon to root out and keep out child sexual abuse.

A broadened Bill 326-33 is a good start toward providing justice to those who have been sexually abused by clergy, preventing such abuse in the future and eliminating the possibility that abusers be protected by the three C’s. We can thank Sen. Frank Blas Jr. for introducing this bill and Sen. Frank Aguon Jr. for promptly setting it down for hearing. In the name of justice and protection of children, we can all urge our senators to broaden and pass this bill forthwith.