The archdiocese of Agana, under the direction of archbishop Anthony Apuron, indicated it would seek legal action against the archbishop’s accusers. The church now finds itself the target of a libel suit from the same individuals whose allegations it denied. On 3 July at the Superior Court of Guam four people, Roland Sondia, Walter Denton, Read more
A priest from Vailoa Palauli on the island of Savai’i in Samoa has left the village after an allegation of sexual misconduct. It is alleged that he was caught sleeping with a Year 13 student. Spokesperson for the Catholic Church, Father Fereti said they have no comment to make. He also refused to confirm or Read more
Vatican appointee, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, has rescinded a decree which forbade Catholics from associating with a group that is calling for the removal of Guam’s Archbishop, Anthony Apuron. Hon stated in his decree he rescinded and annulled Apuron’s decree, “After seven days of consultation and reflection, with deep concern for the best interests of Read more
Another former altar boy, Roland Paul L. Sondia, came forward Wednesday morning to publicly accuse Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of sexual abuse. Sondia, 54, said Apuron sexually abused him when he was a 15-year-old altar boy during a sleepover at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church rectory in Agat where Apuron was parish priest Read more
In 2013, a woman told the Palmerston North Catholic Diocese that a priest had raped her. The alleged rape and sexual abuse were reported to have happened in October 1985. The church paid her a total of $188,000.00 on what was subsequently shown to be fraudulent claims. She had provided medical reports by a psychiatrist Read more
Pope Francis has named an administrator for the Archdiocese of Agãna, on the Pacific island of Guam after its archbishop was accused of sexually abusing young boys decades ago. He is Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai. Hon Tai-Fai is currently secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, a position he has held since 2010. Read more
Peter Loy Chong, the Archbishop of Suva, Fiji, has urged church leaders to adopt strict policies and guidelines on disciplining church pastors involved in sexual offences. Chong made the comment after the Fiji’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions released sexual offence statistics for last month. The statistics revealed there were 46 sexual offence Read more
In Wellington, Peter Hercock, a former priest, was jailed on Monday by Judge Bill Hastings for six years and seven months. Hercock had earlier admitting two charges of rape, one of attempted rape and four of indecently assaulting a girl aged between 12 and 16. Cardinal John Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington said that while justice Read more
Bill Kilgallon, director of the National Office for Professional Standards of the Catholic Church in New Zealand, has been attending a meeting in Rome of The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The Plenary Assembly began with Mass with Pope Francis, in Santa Marta. Members then focused their sessions on listening to and discussing Read more
A former Catholic priest who worked at a Nelson school and Lower Hutt’s Sacred Heart College is to go to trial on sex abuse charges next year. Wellington District Court judge Bruce Davidson on Tuesday remanded him on bail until next month for a preliminary hearing day and set down a trial for May next Read more