Apostolic administrator seeks removal of Guam's Archbishop Apuron

September 19, 2016

An apostolic administrator is calling for the removal of Archbishop Anthony Apuron of Agana, Guam, in the face of multiple complaints of sexual abuse.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, who was appointed in June as temporary caretaker of the Guam archdiocese, issued a message to be read by all priests at Mass on Sunday, September 18: "I am in Rome to urge the Holy See to remove Archbishop Apuron as Archbishop of Agana and to appoint a successor."

Archbishop Apuron was relieved of his administrative duties in June, after several young men came forward to say that the archbishop had molested them. The archbishop has denied the charges.

In his September 18 message to the faithful, Archbishop Hon Tai Fai assured them that "the gravely serious allegations against Archbishop Apuron" would be weighed in a canonical trial by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He said that Pope Francis has been paying close attention to developments.

In the same message, the apostolic administrator urged Catholics to oppose proposed legislation that would extend the deadline for sex-abuse lawsuits against the archdiocese. He said that passage of the bill could result in bankruptcy for the archdiocese.  

 

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Further information:

• Protesters: Archbishop's lobbying denies justice for abuse victims (USA Today)
• Archbishop Hon to Pope Francis: Remove Apuron as head of archdiocese (Pacific Daily News)
• Guam: deacon calls for timely investigation of abuse charges against archbishop (CWN, 9/16)