The Vatican has sent conservative Cardinal Raymond Burke to the Pacific island of Guam to investigate an important case alleging sexual abuse. Burke, a Rome-based American, is due to interview a former altar boy in Guam on Thursday who says he was sexually abused by Apuron, the Pacific Daily News reported. Continue reading
Posts Tagged ‘Clergy Abuse’
Guam – Investigators will soon arrive as part of canonical trial process
Monday, February 13th, 2017The Catholic Church on Guam says a group of investigators will soon arrive as part of the canonical trial of the island’s archbishop. The Archbishop, Anthony Apuron, is facing a Vatican trial after several former altar boys accused him of sexual assault in the 1970s, when he was a parish priest. Continue reading
Canonical trial of Archbishop Apuron underway
Friday, December 2nd, 2016
The canonical trial of Archbishop Anthony Apuron started. “It’s been initiated, I know that much. The argument has been exchanged and now it’s kind of like in the second phase of investigation, examination,” said Archbishop Michael Byrnes, the newly appointed coadjutor bishop of Hagåtña (Guam) at a press conference on Monday afternoon. Byrnes, who arrived Read more
Mixed reaction to Guam’s new Archbishop
Friday, November 18th, 2016
Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes will arrive from Detroit on Nov. 28 and be welcomed by Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai and other clergy, the Archdiocese of Agãna has told The Pacific Daily News. Some consider him to be an “outsider”. Guam will be Byrnes’ first long-term assignment out of Detroit, Michigan. “I wonder about the Read more
Police interview Cardinal Pell in Rome
Friday, October 28th, 2016
Australian police have travelled to Rome and interviewed Cardinal George Pell about historic allegations of sexual assault. In a statement, Victoria Police confirmed to the ABC’s 7.30 program that “three members of Victoria Police travelled to Rome last week where Cardinal George Pell voluntarily participated in an interview regarding allegations of sexual assault”. “As a result Read more
Guam signs sex abuse bill into law despite church opposition
Tuesday, September 27th, 2016Guam’s Governor Eddie Calvo has signed into law a controversial bill that will allow victims of child sex abuse to sue their abusers and the institutions with which they are associated at any time. Mr Calvo said the new law “opens the doors of justice to those who suffered a terrible harm as children,” but Read more
1000s sign petition opposing sex abuse bill in Guam
Friday, September 23rd, 2016The Catholic Church in Guam has collected more than 4,000 signatures for a petition opposing a bill that could expose it to sexual abuse lawsuits. Pacific News Center reports the Church has delivered the petition calling on Governor Eddie Calvo to veto the bill to his office. It collected 4,500 signatures in four days for Read more
Fr Hans Zollner Pope’s Child protection “expert”: NZ has made progress but still some challenges
Tuesday, August 16th, 2016
New Zealand appeared to have made reasonable progress in its work to address sexual abuse within the church and to stop it happening in the future says Fr Hans Zollner. However he said there are still challenges to be faced such as unifying the church’s approach and dealing with complex migration issues. Zollner, who has Read more
Archbishop Hon retracts allegations
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016
Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Agãna has retracted the allegedly defamatory statements Archbishop Anthony Apuron and other officials made about people who have accused Apuron of sex abuse. These statements form the basis of a lawsuit charging libel and slander currently being served on the archdiocese. Hon stated: “Let Read more
Cardinal Pell rejects sexual abuse claims
Friday, July 29th, 2016Australian Cardinal George Pell has vigorously rejected allegations of sexual abuse. Pell, who is who is the Vatican’s top financial officer, says the allegations amount to a “scandalous smear campaign”. According to a program on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) network, Pell faces accusations from the Australian cities of Ballarat, Torquay and Melbourne dating from the Read more