Apuron on Same Stage with Pope during Neocatechumenal Way Event
By Haidee V Eugenio
Nearly two months after the Vatican announced he had been convicted in a canonical trial, former Archbishop Anthony Apuron was seated near Pope Francis on a stage in Rome during Saturday's 50th anniversary of the founding of the Neocatechumenal Way. Apuron is part of the Neocatechumenal Way, which he welcomed to Guam in the mid-1990s, and whose practices are sometimes at odds with traditional Catholic teachings, beliefs and practices. Pope Francis, in his May 5 message, urged the Neocatechumenal Way to respect different cultures. "Love the cultures and traditions of peoples, without imposing pre-established models. Do not start from theories and fixed mindsets, but from concrete situations: it will thus be the spirit who shapes the proclamation according to his times and his ways. And the Church will grow in his image: united in the diversity of peoples, gifts and charisms," the pope said at the event. Apuron found guilty Apuron was found guilty of unspecified accusations in a canonical trial that included allegations that he sexually abused children, based on a March 16 announcement from the Vatican. Apuron, who said he will appeal the conviction, was stripped of his position as archbishop and banned from the island's archdiocese. On Saturday, Apuron could be seen on Vatican News videos seated on the same stage as the pope, along with bishops and archbishops from around the world. Seated to the right of Apuron on stage is Father Edivaldo Oliveira, currently listed on the Archdiocese of Agana's website as a "priest on mission." One of the videos posted on https://bit.ly/2FPndxW shows Apuron and Edivaldo at 37 minutes and 25 seconds, with a closer video shot of Apuron at 39 minutes and 25 seconds into the video. Secretly deeded Yona seminary property While archbishop, Apuron secretly deeded a Yona seminary property to the Neocatechumenal Way, against the advice of his own finance council, which he later fired. Apuron also defied the Holy See's instructions to rescind and annul that deed. Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes returned the property to the archdiocese. The Redemptoris Mater Seminary, which was run by the Neocatehchumenal Way, was later closed and priests there were reassigned to different parishes. Apuron left Guam in 2016 after accusers said he sexually abused altar boys in the 1970s while he was a parish priest in Agat. In early 2018, Apuron's nephew publicly accused his uncle of raping him in the early 1990s when Apuron was archbishop. Concerned Catholics of Guam, which was instrumental in bringing allegations against Apuron to light, said the pope’s advice to the Neocatechumenal Way on “does not go far enough.” “I believe he was politely admonishing them to be careful in how they conduct their evangelization in spreading the teachings of Christ. They should not ‘conquer’ but respect cultures and traditions of the people in which they operate. I don't believe they will follow what the pope is telling them," Sablan said. "Maybe in a private audience with the leadership of the NCW, he is more strict and stern or more direct in his warning – I do not know.” One-year moratorium In a March 15, 2017, pastoral letter, Byrnes asked for a one-year moratorium on the formation of new Neocatechumenal Way communities on Guam, and he asked that parishes celebrate Mass in accordance with the Catholic Church's general instructions and norms. The archbishop appointed a delegate to review the Neocatechumenal Way’s basic pastoral theology principles and teachings, ensure the group's catechists are sufficiently formed and certified, and help the archbishop discern the effects of these efforts, among other things. Deacon Steve Martinez, whom Byrnes appointed in July 2017 to help with the review, said he submitted a report to the archbishop in March. He declined to comment on the report and recommendations, other than saying there was a meeting between the archbishop and representatives of the Neocatechumenal Way in April. 'It is all in his hands' The one-year mark has come and gone, and Byrnes has yet to make an announcement. "Archbishop Byrnes asks for the understanding of all people in the matter of the Neocatechumenal Way. It certainly is an important issue. He will issue information in due time," archdiocese spokesman Tony Diaz said in April. David Atienza, a leader of the Neocatechumenal Way on Guam, said in February that questions about the status of The Way can only be answered by Byrnes. "It is all in his hands," Atienza said. Contact: heugenio@guampdn.com
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