Church Revamps Child Protection Policy

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
October 24, 2017

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/10/24/church-revamps-child-protection-policy-names-review-board-abuse-allegations/789627001/

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes, left, talks about a complete revamp of the Archdiocese of Agana's sexual abuse policy, the safe environment program, and the independent review board policy, during a Tuesday afternoon news conference. Also in photo is the archdiocese's director of communications, Tony Diaz. The archdiocese faces nearly 140 clergy sex abuse lawsuits in local and federal court as of Oct. 24, 2017.

Child sexual abuse allegations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron went unchecked for years because of an inadequate policy for the protection of children and young people, according to Archbishop Michael Byrnes, who said the island's Catholic church has completely revised its policy.

Byrnes said the decision about whether to move forward with an investigation rested with the archbishop. That decision now will be made by an independent body, he said Tuesday.

Apuron, who is facing a canonical trial at the Vatican which could decide his future as a member of the clergy, has been accused of raping or molesting four altar boys in Agat decades ago, when he was a parish priest. The former altar boys and the family of a deceased former altar boy also have sued Apuron and the church in federal court, demanding millions of dollars.

Byrnes was appointed by the pope as Apuron's eventual replacement.

Under church policy, if an archbishop is accused of sexual abuse, the Vatican is to be notified immediately.

"So, if God forbid, one of our current clergy were to be accused of sexual abuse of minors, there would be an investigation that would be automatically prompted and the results of that investigation will go not directly to me, but to the independent review board, which is made up of a number of people who helped work on this policy," Byrnes said during a press conference Tuesday.

The revised policy requires employees and volunteers to immediately report any allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy to the archdiocese and to civil authorities.

Failure to report immediately could result in disciplinary action, including dismissal, and could result in civil or criminal penalties under Guam law.

The policies can be viewed on the archdiocese's website, www.aganaarch.org.

"These documents will help instigate a change of culture in our archdiocese," Byrnes stated in a cover letter for the policies.

The review board also decides whether accused clergy will be suspended while an investigation is conducted.

Byrnes said the appointed board members, including Juan Rapadas and Sister Trinnie Pangelinan, have already met.

Policy aligned

The revised sexual abuse policy is fully aligned with the "United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," which Byrnes said will be fully adopted by the archdiocese in February.

Some 500 to 800 archdiocese employees and volunteers who have regular interaction with young people will also undergo background checks, starting on Nov. 15, and will be required to complete a training module online.

During the press conference, Byrnes said he has not received any new communication yet from the Vatican as to the results of the canonical trial of Apuron, who's accused of sexually abusing altar boys in the 1970s.