GUAM
KUAM
Updated: Sep 26, 2016
By Krystal Paco
It’s a law that opposers have said could potentially bankrupt the local Catholic Church. While others say it’s a step toward healing for victims of child sexual abuse. Late Friday afternoon, Governor Eddie Calvo put pen to paper and signed the highly-controversial Bill 326 into law. While the church braces for doomsday, survivors celebrate.
Survivors of child sexual abuse, the time is now. “We want justice,” stated Roland Sondia, adding, “and we think this is the opportunity now.” Sondia and others who have publicly accused clergy men of child molestation can finally get their day in court. “I’m very happy that the governor signed it. By doing that that, he just made the island a much safer place for our children,” he shared.
Governor Eddie Calvo shared the same sentiment in his weekly address, in which he said, “I hope that we can now move forward and begin the process of healing. I ask everyone to pray for our island’s victims – of this most heinous crime, most especially the vulnerable of our community, our children.”
The Archdiocese of Agana meanwhile is preparing for the new law’s potentially crippling consequences, including bankruptcy, school closures, and an end to the church’s community services for the less fortunate. Days before Calvo took action on the legislation, the church circulated a petition to block the bill. Over 4,500 signatures were submitted to the Governor’s Office to veto the measure. The church offered assurance that a trust fund was being established for victims of sex abuse by church clergy.
Delegate to the administrator Father Jeff San Nicolas said, “Our archdiocese did not want to cause division and we are thankful for those who spoke up and expressed themselves and we will work cooperatively and fully with the process that justice is served and we want to meet the needs of whatever we can as a church to help that process of justice take place. And thank for all those who have made this bill, made the will of the people very clear and we’re cooperative with that.”
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