Church committees to visit parishes

By Louella Losinio
Guam Daily Post
July 5, 2016

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/church-committees-to-visit-parishes/article_9b6ebaae-4299-11e6-a346-7f5222e1c429.html

Apostolic Administrator Savio Hon Tai Fai said they will be making planned canonical visits to the two major seminaries on the island and to parishes during the first part of July.

Following the formation of new ad hoc committees in the Archdiocese of Agana, Apostolic Administrator Savio Hon Tai Fai said they will be making planned canonical visits to the two major seminaries on the island and to parishes during the first part of July.

Hon, in a message released this week, said the ad hoc committees are working hard to fulfill their mandate of providing him with information and counsel for any further decisions he may need to make in the archdiocese.

He said the committees' work is already bearing fruit with the planned canonical visits.

Last month, Hon announced the formation of four ad hoc committees that will oversee various matters within the church.

The committees are:

• Scenario of the archdiocese, which will report on the situation of the church;
• Ongoing formation, which will plan for the formation of the clergy;
• Proposal for repositioning of priests, which will suggest the repositioning of all clergy officials; and
• Seminary visitation, which will visit the major seminaries and assess their status.

Rev. Adrian Cristobal and Monsignor David Quitigua, the former chancellor and vicar general of the archdiocese, respectively, have been assigned to the committee of the scenario of the archdiocese.

Hon has named Rev. Jeffrey San Nicolas as delegate of the administrator. In this role, San Nicolas is to assume responsibilities similar to those of the vicar general and moderator of the Curia. Rev. Jose Antonio “Lito” Abad has been appointed chancellor.

San Nicolas replaces Quitugua, while Abad replaces Cristobal.

Concerned Catholics of Guam, a group that recently pushed for the defrocking of Archbishop Anthony Apuron has expressed concerns about the recent appointments.

Laity Forward Movement member Lou Klitzkie, during a protest in front of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in Hagåtña on Sunday, said the recent appointments are just a reshuffling of the same people within the clergy.

Jose Martinez, a member of Concerned Catholics of Guam earlier called the appointments to the ad hoc committees "curious" and said he believes the problems within the church extend beyond Apuron and lie on the shoulders of its highest ranking officials. He said Apuron's removal would not sufficiently address people's concerns and the removal of certain officials within the clergy would also be necessary.

Hon has said that the recent appointments came after speaking with all of the clergy on the island and many other members of the local Church.

“It was the result of the weekly meetings of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese and must be seen as a collegial effort for the purpose of promoting unity and stability in the local Church,” Hon said.