GUAM
Pacific Daily News
Bill Pesch June 19, 2016
We, as a community, are finally having a conversation that we should have had years, if not decades, ago. That conversation centers around child sexual abuse within a religious setting. Because of recent events, we are currently focused on the Catholic church and more specifically on the allegations pending against Guam’s top Catholic leader, Archbishop Anthony Apuron. I am hopeful, as are others, that over the next few weeks and months this conversation will be broadened to include what legal action can be taken against any and all child sexual abusers who hold religious positions and those in leadership positions who did little or nothing to stop the abuse.
In approaching this topic, let’s be honest with ourselves. The allegations of sexual abuse within the Catholic church on Guam should come as no surprise to most of us, especially those of us over the age of 50. In a private setting, most of us will admit that we know one or more minors who were allegedly abused by priests or deacons. Many of the alleged abuses occurred years ago and almost all went unreported and unpunished.
Cultural, familial and religious constraints often prevented the minors from telling family and friends about the abuse. Unfortunately, often when they did confide in an adult, the adult insisted the matter remain secret. Seemingly, in the few cases of abuse that were brought to the attention of church officials, the alleged offender was simply transferred away from Guam to another unsuspecting parish. As a result, the abuse continued.
A famous paraphrase aptly summarizes this situation: “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” We certainly aren’t alone in this dilemma. This pattern of abuse, silence, and cover up has frequently been repeated in Catholic parishes throughout the United States, and many other countries as well.
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