But he failed to heed the calls, and the subsequent public allegations that Apuron sexually abused Agat altar boys in the 1970s made matters worse for him, Hon said.

Hon said the January 2015 pastoral visit to Guam by himself, Archbishop Martin Krebs and the Rev. Tadeusz Nowak included checking on the November 2014 allegation by California resident John Toves that Apuron sexually abused Toves' cousin.

Hon said he came up with recommendations to help the Archbishop improve his pastoral governance and unify the church on island.

"Unfortunately, 17 months later when I returned here, very little, almost none, has been done," Hon said.

Among Hon's recommendations were:

• Give time to sit down and talk to his own priests at the Archdiocese of Hagåtña.
• Involve more people in decision-making for the archdiocese. "I was suggesting, even inviting some sisters or lay people to be there (decision-making body)," said Hon.
• Set certain goals, such as when the archdiocese was about to mark the 50th year of its foundation as a diocese in 2015 and when Apuron was about to reach the age of 70 also in 2015.
• Avoid favouritism towards one group. (Apuron is a member of the Neocatechumenal Way, whose practices and beliefs are in conflict with the majority of Catholics on Guam).
• Ensure constant communication with the Holy See, through Archbishop Martin Krebs, the Vatican's delegate in the Pacific islands.

Hon said Apuron also didn't follow multiple instructions by the Holy See as early as 2015 to rescind and annul a deed restriction that gives the Redemptoris Mater Seminary and a theological institute, both controlled by the Neocatechumenal Way, the legal right to use church property indefinitely.

Source

• guampdn.com
• Image: kuam.images.worldnow.com

Six are from the Archdiocese of Samoa in Apia, and two are from the Diocese of Samoa in Pago Pago.

However, the number will reach 10 if two other RMS seminarians from American Samoa that are currently on mission outside Guam do not return to Guam.

Father Jeffrey San Nicolas, the delegate of the administrator for the Archdiocese of Agana, said the number of seminarians that were pulled out represented about 24 percent of the population at the seminary.

He said there are now 31 seminarians at RMS, down from 41.

"They left in early July. Their bishop decided to pull them out," San Nicolas said of the Samoan seminarians. "It is a dramatic, shocking situation."

The RMS is a Neocatechumenal seminary.

It forms priesthood candidates ot only for Guam, but for the wider pacific region and other parts of the world

The Neocatechumenal Way is an organisation within the Catholic Church that was formed in Madrid, Spain, in 1964 by Kiko Argueello and Carmen Hernandez.

Archbishop Apuron and the rector of RMS, Fr. Pius Sammut, are both members of the Neocatechumenal Way.

One of the four ad hoc committees that Archbishop Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, apostolic administrator of Agana formed in June is now assessing the status, not only of the RMS in Yona, but also the St. John Paul the Great Archdiocesan Seminary also in Guam.

Hon said the assessment of both seminaries includes "studying their formation programmes, their personnel and other matters involved in the formation of the clergy for the Archdiocese."

"The Archdiocese is in the process of studying the RMS along with our second seminary, understanding that this is a matter of great importance and concern in our Church on Guam."

Source

• guampdn.com
• Image: umatuna.org

The deed gives Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Guam and the Blessed Diego Theological Institute the legal right to use the Archdiocese of Agana's (Guam) property.

Archbishop Savio Tai Fai Honmore, the Vatican appointed administrator of the Archdiocese says that the Holy See recognised, more than a year ago,the problems such a Deed Restriction created.

Hon said. The pope had instructed Apuron more than once to rescind and annul it

"Clearly, this instruction has not been carried out accordingly."

He said the property belongs to the Archdiocese, but its use was deeded away, indefinitely, to the seminary and institute.

In a written statement Hon, called upon the seminary and the institute to obey the pope.

He asked them to renounce,"without any litigation, all rights to use the property."

"Such a courageous act of renouncing will certainly earn respect and recognition from the Holy See, as well as many faithful, the Presbyteral Council and myself." he said.

Hon said he and the Archdiocese Presbyteral Council met with church members Aug. 11 to discuss the deed restriction, which, "has been a source of grave dispute and division in our church."

Critics have argued Apuron improperly gave control of the valuable church asset to followers of the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Archdiocese of Agana bought the former 100-room, oceanside Accion Hotel in Yona more than a decade ago for $2 million. It is one of the Guam Catholic Church's largest real estate assets, estimated at between $40 million and $75 million.

Hon said the property belongs to the Archdiocese, but its use was deeded away, indefinitely, to the seminary and the institute.

Creating the deed was an unusual act, according to Hon, who said use of property normally is conceded through an internal Ecclesiastical agreement.

Source

• pireport.org
• Image: concernedcatholicsofguam.org

These statements form the basis of a lawsuit charging libel and slander currently being served on the archdiocese.

Hon stated: "Let me be clear that in no way do my priest counselors nor I endorse the contents of these statements."

In a message released on Sunday Hon re-iterated his position. "The Archdiocese should always assume and believe that the intent of those who make allegations of this sort is to bring to light serious claims of abuse."

"Allow me to quote Pope Francis who met with 'survivors' in Philadelphia last September:

'I am grateful for this opportunity to meet you.

I am blessed by your presence. Thank you for coming here today, ... I deeply regret that some bishops failed in their responsibility to protect children.

It is very disturbing to know that in some cases bishops were even abusers. I pledge to you that we will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead. Clergy and bishops will be held accountable when they abuse or fail to protect children.'"

Apuron and other archdiocesan representatives had threatened to sue accusers and others for allegedly spreading malicious and calumnious lies against the archbishop and the Archdiocese of Agãna

At the press conference, Hon reiterated the measures he had undertaken to remove the statements from the archdiocese media outlets and reinforced his position on the gravity of any such claims of sexual misconduct leveled against members of the clergy.

On Friday, July 22, the four plaintiffs in the current suit delivered a copy of an amended suit to the archdiocese.

Hon was named and accused of being equally accountable for defamatory statements made against the plaintiffs in regard to their claims against Apuron and their intentions in coming forward.

Despite the retraction they say they will continue to press the libel and slander lawsuits.

Source

• postguam.com
• umatuna.org
• guampdn.com
• www.kuam.com
• Image: gannett-cdn.com

Hon has assigned five priests to conduct visitations to the parishes starting this month.

Father Jeff San Nicolas, the archdiocese's newly appointed Delegate of the Apostolic Administrator has been assigned the coordinator of these visits. "I'm happy that Archbishop Hon has chosen to get to know all of our parishes a little bit better," Father Jeff told the Umatuna last Wednesday.

Father Jeff explained that the parish visits would entail two basic parts. One part would be a kind of self-report. "The parish leadership will have an opportunity to describe their parish and tell of their situation."

"So the pastor might ask different planning groups inside the parish to help him put together a report, a self-report for the Archbishop," Father Jeff said. Visitations will follow the report.

The second part will be a questionnaire to give parishioners the opportunity to share their experiences in the parish.

Archbishop Hon has emphasised Pope Francis' message to Guam Catholics in his homily at the most recent Prayer Meeting on July 2 at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagatna.

"The Holy Father asked me to prioritise my mission on unity," he said. "The Holy Father himself said he earnestly requests the prayers and trust of the brothers and sisters of the local Church and hopes sincerely that the entire Catholic community puts all its energy in promoting unity, harmony and stability of the Church."

Source

• umatuna.org
• Image: umatuna.org