Archbishop Hon: Guam's Church Should Assume Any Abuse Allegations Are Serious

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
July 27, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/07/26/live-guams-vatican-appointed-archbishop-holds-press-conference/87591830/

[with video]

A Vatican-appointed archbishop currently overseeing the local Catholic Church said Wednesday he recants and retracts statements made by Archbishop Anthony Apuron that were aimed at those who accused Apuron of sexual misconduct.

Apuron, the local church leader who currently isn’t in charge of daily operations, had called those accusations malicious and calumnious.

“The archdiocese should always assume and believe that the intent of those who make allegations of sexual abuse is to bring to light serious claims of abuse,” Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai said in his first press conference since Pope Francis appointed him in June to temporarily oversee the Catholic Church in Guam.

Hon’s recanting and retraction of Apuron’s statements came days after Hon’s name was included as a defendant in a libel and slander lawsuit filed by three former altar boys and the mother of a fourth altar boy who accused Apuron of sexually assaulting them in the late 1970s in Agat.

The four individuals filed the $2 million lawsuit against Apuron, the Archdiocese of Agana and up to 50 other persons for calling them liars when they came out in May and June to accuse Apuron of sexual abuse of altar boys.

(Story continues below video.)

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana, comments on the removal of the Rev. Paul Gofigan and Msgr. James Benavente from their posts by Archbishop Anthony Apuron. Rick Cruz/PDN

The accusers — Roy T. Quintanilla, Walter Denton, Roland Sondia and Doris Concepcion — said the church should hold Hon, who’s temporarily assumed Apuron’s duties in Guam, equally accountable for past statements because the church has not retracted or repudiated any of the statements.

“As I mentioned previously, I take all reports of sexual misconduct by officials of the Church very seriously and I have not, do not, and will not consider a person presenting such reports as malicious or calumnious, or motivated by a desire to attack the church or any other improper purpose,” Hon said at the news conference at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagatna.

During the news conference, Hon read a statement addressed to Quintanilla, Concepcion, Denton and Sondia regarding the allegations of child abuse against Apuron while he was a parish priest in Agat in the 1970s.

Toward the end of his remarks, Hon said he wanted to personally meet with Quintanilla, Concepcion, Denton and Sondia, either by traveling personally to meet with them wherever they are, if they wish, or the Archdiocese of Agana will arrange for their travel to Guam.

Quintanilla and Denton are currently back in Guam, while Sondia lives on island. Denton and Concepcion are from Arizona.

Hon also said Pope Francis appointed him as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana after learning of the allegations against Apuron.

He said only the Holy Father has the authority to investigate, and Hon said his obligation is to ensure that all of the documentation related to this matter reaches the proper offices of the Holy See.

While answering media questions, Hon couldn’t couldn’t say how long the church’s investigation against Apuron will take or how long he will assume the position of overseeing Guam’s Catholic Church, since he’s not involved in the investigation.

Hon said the Archdiocese has revised the policy of responding to reports of sexual misconduct by an official of the Church. The policy now includes a clause that states the archbishop must recuse himself from the proceedings if he is the one accused.

The Rev. Jeffrey San Nicolas, delegate of the administrator, said the Archdiocese of Agana, himself and Hon “do not know where exactly Archbishop Apuron is.”

The story will be updated.

The archdiocese released a written version of the statements Hon made at today's press conference. The statements are below.