Deacon Leonard Stohr said there were an estimated 350 people camping outside the hotel's entrance at 5:00 am.

The hotel had been used to house the Redemptoris Mater Seminary until it was closed down at the end of December in 2017.

Some of the proceeds from the sale of items in the former hotel will go toward a special fund that may be needed to compensate clergy sex abuse victims.

The land and buildings are also listed as one of the 41 non-essential properties that could be sold to help settle sex abuse lawsuits.

The ownership of the hotel has been the subject of controversy.

The money used to buy the property was donated by Carmelite nuns in the United States.

In 2011 Archbishop Anthony Apuron signed a deed restriction that allowed a seminary and theological institute controlled by the Neocatechumenal Way to use the Yona property indefinitely.

At a press conference in November 2016, Mother Superior Dawn Marie of the Carmelite Monastery on Guam said the donors were disappointed that the property was not used for its intended purpose because of the influence of the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Archdiocese of Agãna subsequently regained full control of the property after Archbishop Michael Byrnes used his authority to cancel the deed restriction.

Source

• guampdn.com
• guampdn.com
• guampdn.com
• Image: guampdn.com /Rick Cruz

Anthony S. Apuron lost his position in the wake of sexual abuse claims.

Apuron left Guam in 2016 after accusations that he sexually assaulted four altar boys when he was a priest.

His nephew, Mark Apuron, later accused him of raping him in a chancery bathroom nearly three decades ago, when the boy was still a teenager.

At the Rome function Apuron dressed in his bishop's robes.

He joined cardinals and bishops as they heard a speech by Pope Francis.

The Pope spoke at the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Neocatechumenal Way (NCW) in Tor Vergata.

The Vatican stripped Apuron of his title title following a canonical trial in March.

It found him guilty of unspecified allegations.

The Vatican had imposed the penalties of privation of office upon him and prohibition of residence in the Archdiocese of Agana.

Apuron is appealing the case.

If successful, he could have his title reinstated.

Apuron has maintained his innocence.

Neocatechumenal Way links

Guam blogger, Tim Rohr, says he believes Apuron's attendance at the NCW event shows that the former archbishop made a deal to "take care of him."

The church in Guam stopped the formation of new NCW communities last year.

It is reviewing the way the NCW celebrates the Eucharist.

Apuron had secretly deeded a seminary property to NCW leaders.

He had refused to comply with the Holy See's instructions to rescind and annul the deed.

The property, later returned, is to be sold to help the archdiocese raise money for the settlement of more than 150 child sexual abuse lawsuits.

Source:

• Guam Daily Post
• La Croix International
• Image: La Croix International

"Only a Church that renounces the world announces the Lord well. Only a Church free from power and money, free from triumphalism and clericalism, testifies in a credible way that Christ liberates man," Pope Francis told the group.

He then sent 34 new "mission ad gentes" (mission to nations) to proclaim the Gospel in various parts of the world.

He warned them not to dictate to others or follow pre-ordained scripts, but to accompany the faithful patiently.

During the rally Francis also sent another 25 communities to parishes of Rome Diocese.

"Go!" he said. The heart of the mission is to witness that God loves us.

At the same time, the missionary movement must respect different cultures and not try to conquer souls as it spreads the faith around the world.

Francis said when a missionary goes out, he leaves with "only the baggage of trust" in the poor Jesus who did not have anywhere to lay His head.

"To go, you must be light. To proclaim, it is necessary to renounce," he said.

He told members that a heart freed of attachments broadens and becomes available to God and to others. One who renounces transitory things out of love, embraces the great treasure of freedom."

The Neocatechumenal Way began in Madrid in 1964. It is dedicated to post- and pre-baptismal formation of Christians, based on the word of God, the Eucharist and the Christian community.

It engages families who through their witness and life help establish the Church's presence in countries where it is absent or tiny. The group also seeks to revive and strengthen the presence of Catholic communities in difficult and ‎highly secularised areas.

Source

• Vatican News
• Washington Post
• Image: Vatican News

Archdiocesan Finance Council President Richard Untalan and other council members said the Yona property is one of 41 non-essential archdiocese assets that could be sold to help settle clergy sex abuse cases against the archdiocese.

But Sablan says an end-date should be set to the Neocatechumenal Way staying there and until the property is sold, those staying there should be paying rent to the archdiocese.

Sablan is the president of Concerned Catholics of Guam of an organisation formed in 2014 "to address major concerns and issues that have affected the Catholic faithful on Guam, with the objective of resolving the problems affecting the confidence and trust they have in their church leadership."

The Yona property, which was once an hotel, is being used by the Neocatechumenal Way as a seminary. It has been at the centre of a dispute about who its rightful owners are.

Sablan said it is unfair that Guam's 14 Catholic schools and their students are being assessed to pay for some $2.64 million in church debts, while the Neocatechumenal Way "gets free rent" from the archdiocese.

Catholic schools will be charged new fees of $25 per student each year to fund the operations of a Catholic education superintendent, and $144 a year per student to help the church weather its financial crisis.

On Aug. 3, Sablan sent a letter to Redemptoris Mater Seminary vice rector Monsignor David C. Quitugua, requesting a list of those living at the Yona property.

"We need to know who are these people staying out there because we know there are others than just these the Neocatechumenal Way priest- presbyters and seminarians. The Chancery officials do not know either," he said.

SOURCE

• scribd.com
• Pacific Daily News
• Image: Concerned Catholic of Guam

He also asked them to celebrate Mass in accordance with the Catholic Church's general instructions and norms.

Byrnes said he intends to appoint a priest delegate to review the Neocatechumenal Way's basic pastoral theology principles or teachings, ensure the group's catechists are sufficiently formed and certified and help the archbishop discern the effects of these efforts.

An now David Sablan, president of Concerned Catholics of Guam, has written letters and made phone calls to leaders of the Catholic church on Saipan, Chuuk, Palau and other islands warning them off the Neocatechumenal Way.

He says the Neocatechumenal Way is at the root of all the problems the Church in Guam is experiencing.

He alleges the Neocatechumenal Way:

• Lacks a valid mandate from the pope
• Celebrates Masses in a way that does not conform to the general instruction of the Roman missal.
• Uses of Catholic church and parish resources while it does not conform to canon law.

"We strongly suggest that you do not allow this heretical sect to enter your diocese," he said.

"They have caused so much division within our Archdiocese of Agãna, pitting family members against each other, when some members of a family join the NCW while other members continue to practice their Catholic faith in the way their parents and grandparents have raised them,"

Last Father Jeffrey San Nicolas, the delegate for Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, said , "I am hopeful that the strings disproportionately empowering the national and international leadership of the to interfere with our local affairs will be cut."

"If the Neocatechumenal Way is to minister to the faithful, let it happen organically, not through force or manipulation."

"Source

• pacificnewscenter.com
• guampdn.com
• guampdn.com
• Image: gannett.cdn.com

The Carmelites had anonymously donated the $2 million used by the Archdiocese of Agãna, to buy a former hotel in Yona.

They considered suing the church after finding out the property was not being used by the archdiocese, but for a seminary operated by the Neocatechumenal Way,

Sr Dawn Marie says they were asked to state that they had purposely earmarked their gift for the use of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary and for the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Catholic Theological Institute for Oceania.

She said it was a "pretty toxic environment for the nuns to live in."

"Because the gift was an anonymous gift from the very beginning, that anonymity was not respected by the archbishop."

"So many people knew and misunderstood that the Carmelites in Malojloj had donated the $2 million. The Carmelite community in Guam hadn't even have a savings account," she said.

The latest edition of The Archdiocese of Agãna's newspaper, Umatuna Si Yu'os corrected its earlier story about the ownership od trhe former hotel.

A story published on the front page of the newspaper on 29 November last year it carried the headline indicating that the Archbishop was the legal and sole owner of the property.

The story did not include any information about a declaration of deed restriction that clearly stated that the Owner hereby covenants and declares that the Property is and shall be held, used, transferred, sold and conveyed subject to the covenants and restrictions set forth herein:

The restriction stated:

The property shall be dedicated, to and for the use, of the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary of Guam, a non-profit coporation with identification number #66-0626532, in perpetual use as a see of the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary of Guam, and by the Blessed Diego Luis de san Vitores Catholic Theological Institute for Oceania."

This week, the Archdiocese announced that it has "acted to transfer complete and unrestricted control and possession of the Yona property back to the Archdiocese of Agaña."

Source

• umutuna.org
• guampdn.com
• Image: guampdn.com

"When Islamisation increased during the 1970s, people began to ask 'What next?' Many were in difficult financial positions. They were desperate."

"They once had everything and enjoyed everything and suddenly there was nothing," said Stephen Chu, a member of the Way

"When the Neocatechumenal Way came here initially no one expected that it would stay but it thrived," said Chu.

The Way numbers about 1,000 members and it is growing. The Catholic population in Sabah is around 370,000.

They meet twice weekly, once to read the Bible and again each Saturday evening for a private Mass, separate from the main congregation.

The first community in Malaysia was formed from a core group of about 20 or so in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah's capital city.

Now there are 30 communities.

The growth took place when the Catholic community in Sabah was in a state of flux when the country's leaders were prioritising Islam at every level.

In the 1970s the clergy, made up mainly of foreign priests were expelled from Sabah. So were expat nuns.

Christians were uneasy; the government machinery was being used to change the demographics of the state from mainly Christian to Muslim. Conversions were encouraged and rewarded. Many did. Others coped or emigrated.

Father Patrick Ryan, a priest who left Sabah in 1971 and now lives in England, said the declericalisation of the church in the state resulted in the laity becoming more involved in church affairs during the 1970s.

By and large many Catholics in Sabah saw the church as a wounded institution. What's more they felt they were on their own.

"This gave the Neocatechumenal Way credence in Sabah," says Ryan, who sees the group as "having the makings of a cult."

He believes the rigidity of the Neocatechumenal Way is unsuitable for Sabah as it "does not integrate into the harmonious and easygoing Sabah way."

The Neocatechumenal Way, a lay movement founded in 1964 in Spain, is dedicated to the Christian formation of adults.

Called "a community of itinerants who preach the Gospel around the world," it has about 13,500 communities in 4,000 parishes and 650 dioceses in more than 90 countries.

Source

• ucanews.com
• Image: neo-sabah.blogspot.co.nz

A statement released by the The Archdiocese on September 1 re-iterated its request that the Neocatechumenal Way "renounce the benefits granted through a deed restriction."

A deed restriction signed by Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron allows the Redemptoris Mater Seminary and the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Catholic Theological Institute for Oceania to use the Yona property in perpetuity.

The statement says such a step would help significantly in the Archdiocese's efforts to restore unity and build harmony between all members of the Church on Guam.

The Yona property, valued between $40 million and $75 million, is the former 100-room, oceanside Accion Hotel.

The statement also expresses Archbishop Hon's sincerest apologies for the hurt and wounds which the former members of the archdiocesan finance council had suffered as a result of their improper dissolution of the same council.

The former finance council members want to clear their names four years after they were abruptly terminated, in January 2012.

On Wednesday last, the dismissed members of the finance council accused Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of going behind their back in 2011 when the archbishop, with help from other people involved with the Neocatechumenal Way, "secretly" recorded a deed transferring a church property in Yona to the Redemptoris Mater Seminary.

They said council, during a September 2011 meeting, had denied the Redemptoris Mater Seminary's request to transfer the title of the Yona property to the seminary.

The statement issued by the Archdiocese also made it clear that "while moving forward, the Archdiocese welcomes criticism."

"With discernment, acceptance and humility, we understand that criticism is a bridge that leads to improvement."

Source

• umatuna.org
• guampdn.com
• Image: arm3.staticflickr.com

"The only one who can lift the deed of restriction is the ordained Archbishop of Agãna, Archbishop Apuron or, eventually, his successor," Sammut told Pacific Daily News.

He said the Archbishop is "both the sole member of the RM Seminary and of the Corporation Sole that is the Archdiocese of Agana, who owns the property, following the due canonical steps of consultation and deliberation."

Sammut and Apuron are both members of the Neocatechumenal Way.

Neocats did not defy Pope

Sammut said members of the Neocatechumenal Way never defied the pope because they do not own anything.

"Archbishop Apuron never defied the Pope either, since the pope never said to the Archbishop to lift the deed of restriction," Sammut said.

"If you refer to the indication or request of a Congregation of the Holy See, I can only say that in the Catholic Church every Diocesan Bishop in the diocese entrusted to him has all ordinary, proper and immediate power, and that indications or requests of the Holy See need to be evaluated by the Bishop in the exercise of his pastoral function."

The Vatican placed Apuron on leave after former altar boys started publicly accusing him of sexual abuse. Apuron hasn't been charged with any crime.

Hon has told the media he doesn't know where Apuron is.

Apuron last made a visual public statement in early June in a recorded video message to members of the Guam community. In the video, Apuron appeared to be at the Vatican in Rome.

Pope Francis sent Hon to Guam in early June to temporarily administer the local Catholic church.

Hon issued a statement last week requesting the Redemptoris Mater Seminary and the community that controls it to voluntarily return the Yona property, instead of having the matter go to court.

Source

• guampdn.com
• Image: 1.bp.blogspot.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

Last Tuesday Roy Quintanilla publicly accused Apuron of molesting him about 40 years ago, when he was a 12-year-old altar boy.

This allegation is the latest in a series of complaints about various things taking place in the Diocese of Agana.

Read media release made 13 May, from the Archdiocese, in which the allegations are listed and responded to.

Three video statements released

A video message from archbishop Apron was recorded last Tuesday, in which Apuron unequivocally denied the accusations made against him.

"To be absolutely clear and to avoid any misinterpretations of my statement I deny all allegations of sexual abuse," he said.

Apuron described the "false accusation of sexual abuse" as part of "a series of attacks against himself and the church."

Deacon Francisco Tenor recorded a video-recorded message, released Thursday night, in which he said "When (Apuron) spoke very directly denying any involvement in this alleged offence, I accept that this is the truth," of Archbishop Apuron's statement.

"I know this to be the truth since I too was assigned to the Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Agat between (1973) and (1977)."

The alleged incident happened during these years when Apuron was a priest at Mt. Carmel.

Roy Quintanilla also releases a video statement responding to Tenorio.

Quintanilla said he respected Tenorio but his comments in the video were offensive.

Quintanilla said the deacon should've waited for results from an investigation before coming out and disputing Quintanilla's allegations.

Church begins coordinating response, following guidelines

The archdiocese says that it has begun to initiate the steps contained in its sexual abuse policy.

"In the spirit of commitment set by Pope Francis, the Archdiocese of Agana affirms its commitment to upholding its Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy," the archdiocese said.

It assured the Catholics "that proper steps have been initiated, as outlined and guided by our policy."

"Deacon Larry Claros is the archdiocese's Sexual Abuse Response Coordinator (SARC)."

The archdiocese said Deacon Claros has been informed and is coordinating a response, which includes convening the archdiocesan review board and contacting the complainant as outlined in the sexual misconduct and harassment policy.

Three members of the sexual abuse review board withdraw

Three members of the archdiocesan review board have said they cannot take part in a review of this accusation.

This means the five-member board may need to appoint more members.

Mariles Benavente said she will recuse herself because she is walking in the Neocatechumenal Way, a group within the Catholic Church whose members meet in small community settings to worship.

The Archbishop is also part of the Way.

His ties to the Way have angered a number of Guam Catholics.

Vincent Pereda resigned after saying the archdiocese's sexual misconduct policy is flawed.

In an email to Claros Pereda said because the archbishop is identified as an alleged offender, the policy can't involve him in any way.

Pereda also wrote that he believed, based on Quintanilla's statements, that "credible, reasonable cause does exists … that the archbishop engaged in sexual misconduct."

Juan Rapadas began work at the Superior Court of Guam 2015.

This is the first case to come before the board since that time.

Rapadas said he's required to step down from any group that may pose a conflict of interest in his line of work.

"When this came out and there was some talk about the archbishop filing a case or anyone else filing a case, I had to get out," Rapadas said.

George Kallingal is a fourth member of the board.

He said he will remain on the board.

The fifth review board member wasn't available for comment.

Source

• abc.net.au
• guampdn.com
• Image: gannett-cdn.com

Originally from Germany, Cordes was appointed as Vice-President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in 1980 by St. Pope John Paul II.

In 1995 he was appointed by St. Pope John Paul II as President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.

In 2007 he was made a Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI.

Until his retirement at the age of 80 in September 2014, he was a member of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, Congregation of Clergy, Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and the Congregation of Bishops.

On April 30 at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in Hagatna, Cordes celebrated a Mass with the faithful of the Archdiocese of Agãna.

In speaking directly to the Communities of the Neocatechumenal Way he affirmed them citing the numerous popes who have confirmed the charism.

"I confirm you in this Way. The Church needs these kinds of deepening the Faith.

"The Church today needs this witness."

"The people need the message of God's love, that someone is there who can touch their hearts and come to Faith."

In 2015 Cordes took issue with the Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx over his statement about pastoral care for divorced and re-married Catholics.

Cordes took issue with Marx claim that the Catholic Church looks to and expects much from the Church in Germany.

He noted that Germany has barely any supernatural Faith left (only 16.2 percent of German Catholics believe in a Triune God, as a personal God with a Face, instead of an abstraction), so therefore, Germany is hardly a model for any other country concerning the Faith.

"We have therefore no reason to put us with our Faith up front of the Churches of other countries," he said.

Cordes also disputed Marx's claim that the German Church is not merely a "subordinate of Rome" and that, rather, the German Church has to make her own decisions concerning marriage and those who married outside the Church, namely, "the German Church has to teach the Gospel in her own way."

Source

• umatuna.org
• lifesitenews.com
• Image: umatuna.org

The protesters were from the Concerned Catholics of Guam (CCOG) and the Laity Forward Movement (LFM).

This is the latest episode in a long running conflict which has divided Catholics in Guam.

It has been alleged that the Neocatechumenal Way has an undue influence on the Catholic church in Guam.

Gennarini has been accused of manipulating Archbishop Anthony Apuron into giving away the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, to the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Seminary is located in a building that had previously been an hotel.

Apuron claims that a deed of restriction, filed secretly with the Department of Land Management, in November 2011, did not transfer ownership and control of the seminary property.

"I think that Chamorros are very welcoming people but I think we're also tired of being walked all over and being abused by this archbishop and this diocese," says Vangie Lujan, a member of the Concerned Catholics of Guam.

A representative of the of the Neocatechumenal Way, Fr. Edivaldo da Silva Olivera claimed that the protesters represented less than one percent of the Catholics on Guam.

"They do not represent the Catholics, the ones who are here, very few, of course, few people make noise but we are not disturbed by it," he said.

Edivaldo, who comes from Brazil, is Pastor of Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje [Our Lady of Peace and Safe Journey] Catholic Church in Chalan Pago.

He is also a Professor of Theology at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Yoña.

Source

• postguam.com
• pacificnewscenter
• Image: postguam.com

According to John Taitano, a council member of the Toto parish, the church only collected $150 of its more than $5,000 goal.

Taitano previously stated parishioners "overwhelmingly" opposed to giving donations to the appeal this year because of transparency concerns.

He said many Catholics on island don't agree with the Neocatechumenal Way, a global movement within the Catholic Church, and believe the teachings of the Redemptoris Mater are in line with the Neocatechumenal Way.

Father Adrian Cristobal, spokesman of the Chancery office, explained in the Archdiocese newspaper how funds from the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal (AAA) were divvied up between July 2014 and May of this year.

"The Redemptoris Mater Seminary relies mostly on donations and fundraising," Cristobal wrote. "It is false to say that all the monies collected by the AAA goes to the Redemptoris Mater Seminary."

"Only 26 percent" went to the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, according to Cristobal. The St. John Paul the Great Archdiocesan Seminary received 36 percent while 20 percent went to chaplain's expenses.

Taitano said he doesn't agree with the Chancery's breakdown of the funds from the appeal.

He said there's still a lack of transparency and the archdiocese should publicize the documents that show how the finances were spent.

"If in fact these are the figures you're providing, then show it to us," Taitano said. "Show us how much is being spent. … Show us those documents."

There are currently 37 diocesan seminarians studying at the Redemptoris Mater, with 26 of them studying for the Archdiocese of Agana, Cristobal said.

The remaining 11 seminarians came from other dioceses such as the Diocese of American Samoa and Archdiocese of Apia, which pay for their respective seminarians.

Source

• guampdn.com
• umatuna.org
• Image: umatuna.org