GUAM
Pacific Daily News
http://datadana.com/timelinearch/ – Divided Archdiocese
Questions about the leadership of Guam’s Catholic church reached a tipping point June 6, when Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Savio Tai Fai Hon to temporarily run the local archdiocese. While the move comes shortly after Archbishop Anthony Apuron was accused of sexually abusing altar boys in the 1970s, the local church and Apuron have been battling public dissent for many years. Here are some of the key events:
October 2009: Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz states he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a priest in California when he was 13, and said he knows of “pedophile priests” in the Guam archdiocese. Cruz stated the allegations publicly after Archbishop Apuron lobbied against Cruz’s bill to allow for same-sex marriage. Cruz called Apuron’s opposition “hypocritical.” Apuron stated, “Unfortunately, sins committed by individuals from every walk of life bear consequences that are painful and should be prevented.”
February 2011: The Archdiocese of Agana tries to stop a proposed law that would eliminate the statute of limitations and open a two-year window for those who were sexually assaulted as children to sue their attackers. The archdiocese, which argues the bill targets the church, asks the governor to veto the bill, and Archbishop Apuron speaks to the governor and several lawmakers about his opposition. The bill becomes law.
July 2013: Archbishop Apuron removes the Rev. Paul Gofigan as pastor of Santa Barbara Church in Dededo, stating Gofigan failed to terminate the employment of a known sex offender. Gofigan, in January 2014, threatens to file a defamation suit, saying Apuron slandered him.
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