Neocatechumenate - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz Catholic News New Zealand Thu, 26 Mar 2015 21:48:45 +0000 en-NZ hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://cathnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-cathnewsfavicon-32x32.jpg Neocatechumenate - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz 32 32 70145804 Catholic Church in Guam still divided https://cathnews.co.nz/2015/03/27/catholic-church-in-guam-still-divided/ Thu, 26 Mar 2015 18:04:20 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=69645

Over the past few months, many of the Guam's Catholics have been divided by a line in which one side supports the Neocatechumenal Way (NCW) movement and those who want to keep the old traditions of the local Catholic church. On Wednesday a prayer vigil took place in Hagåtña. Gregory D. Perez, president of the Read more

Catholic Church in Guam still divided... Read more]]> Over the past few months, many of the Guam's Catholics have been divided by a line in which one side supports the Neocatechumenal Way (NCW) movement and those who want to keep the old traditions of the local Catholic church.

On Wednesday a prayer vigil took place in Hagåtña.

Gregory D. Perez, president of the Concerned Catholics of Guam, said the vigil was held to unite the island's Catholic community, which he feels is divided.

The gathering took place on the front steps of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña.

About 50 people attended the prayer rally.

Everyone, including Archbishop Anthony Apuron and people from other faiths, had been invited.

One of the more recent controversies in the local Catholic church involves the recent arrest of a priest, Father Luis Camacho, who was accused of "custodial interference" over a 17-year-old girl.

Camacho has resigned from being pastor of the Malesso and San Dionisio parishes.

The Guam Police Department said Camacho was booked and charged with custodial interference for being with a female minor who was not in school at the time they were found parked at the beach.

Camacho was released from police custody the same day.

The archdiocese has issued a statement regarding Camacho's arrest:
"The Archdiocese of Agana was made aware that Father Luis was booked and released yesterday, March 17, 2015. The alleged offense is custodial interference, according to information provided by the Guam Police Department. The archdiocese has initiated a canonical investigation and is cooperating fully with civil authorities. In the meantime, Father Luis' faculties have been restricted."

The statement was issued by Vice Chancellor Rev. Jose Alberto Rodriguez.

The Sexual Abuse Response Coordinator (SARC) Deacon Larry Claros said he would not be involved in this case.

On Wednesday, Carlina Charfauros, public information officer for the Attorney General's Office, said other than the initial police report, no other reports were forwarded to their office.

However KUAM News had reported that one day after his arrest a report was filed by Deacon Stephen Martinez with Archbishop Anthony Apuron and Child Protective Services alleging that Fr. Luis had "sexual contact" with the minor.

In response to the report, Claros told KUAM News that, "a canonical investigation is underway and I have done my part as the SARC in coordinating the investigation. It now lies with the Attorney General's office."

Martinez has expressed concern about Camacho' connection to the NCW.

He claims Camacho used his position of authority in the NCW community to take advantage of girl.

"This is a grave abuse of trust and a tendency which a proper psychological examination may have disclosed."

"Unfortunately this is not the only incident which raises alarm bells about problems within the RMS formation and screening process."

"I certainly hope the victim's participation in the NCW, and that of her parents, was not exploited to convince them not to press charges against Fr. Luis."

Martinez also alleged other disturbing actions by members of the clergy.

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Catholic Church in Guam still divided]]> 69645 Apostolic Delegate visits Guam to build bridges https://cathnews.co.nz/2014/07/22/apostolic-delegate-visits-guam-build-bridges/ Mon, 21 Jul 2014 19:04:06 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=60885

A controversy has arisen regarding an alleged attempt to transfer ownership of property owed by Archdiocese Hagåtña to an organisation connected to the Neocatechumenal Way. Last week, while on a visit to to Guam, the apostolic delegate archbishop Martin Krebs said he had come help build bridges and help those who want to build bridges. Krebs Read more

Apostolic Delegate visits Guam to build bridges... Read more]]> A controversy has arisen regarding an alleged attempt to transfer ownership of property owed by Archdiocese Hagåtña to an organisation connected to the Neocatechumenal Way.

Last week, while on a visit to to Guam, the apostolic delegate archbishop Martin Krebs said he had come help build bridges and help those who want to build bridges.

Krebs met with people from Neocatechumenal Way, local religious, clergy and archbishop Anthony Apuron.

A group calling itself Concerned Catholics of Guam recently published a notice in the Pacific Daily News, calling on the Archdiocese of Hagåtña to publish audited financial statements annually on the Internet.

Guam Catholic Tim Rohr, whose blog Jungle Watch discusses controversial issues, said the archdiocese's leadership has yet to publicly answer questions about one of the local church's biggest assets — the former Accion Hotel which is now being used as a seminary.

There's growing concern among local parishioners, Rohr said, because of an alleged attempt to transfer title of the property from the archdiocese to a group that's in part controlled by New Jersey-based U.S. representatives of Neocatechumenal Way.

Krebs said his visit was intended to encourage bridges to be built, not torn down.

"There are many discussions going on in the archdiocese in Guam and of course I want to see the reality of the archdiocese," he said.

"I see these discussions and I met with the priests and religious and the people of the Neocatechumenal Way in order to see what I can do in these discussions."

"As an Apostolic Delegate I'm not called to solve the problems but to be helpful in order to encourage and empower the people who are here … and so that's what I have been doing in my talks and the talks were very fruitful, putting on the table which are the problems and then trying to build bridges."

Although a local blog reported the meeting was heated, according to the chancellor for the archdiocese of Hagåtña, Father Adrian Cristobal, overall it was a very positive visit.

He says that Apuron will be addressing the needs of the priests over a period of time and that Archbishop Krebs has instructed them to build bridges with open dialogue and reconciliation.

According to Rohr, the property could be worth $35 million in today's market,.

He said the archdiocese bought the former hotel for $2 million in 2002 after the $57 million hotel project failed.

 

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Apostolic Delegate visits Guam to build bridges]]> 60885 Missionaries told to respect local culture https://cathnews.co.nz/2014/02/04/missionaries-told-respect-local-culture/ Mon, 03 Feb 2014 18:01:31 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=53894

Pope Francis, Saturday, told members of Neocatechumenal Way to pay attention to cultural differences when they go about missionary work. He said the Catholic Church's overall unity is more important than the details of their own practices. Pope Francis also told the groups they are also to respect the authority and guidance of local bishops. The Neocatechumenate's religious Read more

Missionaries told to respect local culture... Read more]]> Pope Francis, Saturday, told members of Neocatechumenal Way to pay attention to cultural differences when they go about missionary work.

He said the Catholic Church's overall unity is more important than the details of their own practices.

Pope Francis also told the groups they are also to respect the authority and guidance of local bishops.

The Neocatechumenate's religious zeal has reportedly wreaked havoc in Japan, the Philippines, and elsewhere in Asia and Europe, where local bishops have tried to limit their activities and close their seminaries.

In 2011, the archbishop of Tokyo wrote an article noting the country's bishops wanted to suspend the Neocatechumenals' work completely in the country for five years. The archbishop of Lingayen-Daugupan in the Philippines, Socrates Villegas, went so far as to bar the community from seeking new recruits and revoked existing members' right to teach catechism lessons.

Francis appeared to have taken the bishops' comments seriously, telling the group that they must be patient and merciful with all they encounter.

"The freedom of each person must not be forced, and you must respect even the possible choice of those who decide to search for other forms of Christian life outside the Way," he warned.

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Missionaries told to respect local culture]]> 53894