Archbishop Hon Retracts Apuron's Statements, Takes All Allegations Seriously

By Krystal Paco
KUAM
July 27, 2016

http://www.kuam.com/story/32547402/2016/07/26/archbishop-hon-retracts-apurons-statements-takes-all-allegations-seriously

The church previously called Archbishop Anthony Apuron's accusers liars whose motive was to oust Apuron and destroy the Catholic Church. Now, face-to-face with a $2 million lawsuit, the church is taking back their words and hoping to correct the wrongs made by previous church leadership.

And for the first time ever since his appointment to Guam over a month ago, apostolic administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai addressed the press.

While plaintiffs in the libel and slander lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Agana and Archbishop Apuron are looking to clear their names, so is the apostolic administrator. Archbishop Hon announced, "Archbishop Apuron's statements were not consistent with the gravity with which the church approaches all allegations of abuse. I recant and retract all such statements."

Last Friday, Archbishop Hon was officially served the $2 million libel and slander suit filed earlier this month against the archdiocese and Apuron. While he's not listed as a defendant, the suit names Archbishop Hon for failing to retract previous statements made by Apuron and then-church leadership. He continued, "Immediately after I arrived on Guam, I ordered the removal of these statements from all diocese media organs, including the website of the archdiocese and that of the archdiocesan newspaper."

Instead, he offers a different message to alleged victims, saying, "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 desire to attack the church or any other improper purpose."

The church has revised policy when it comes to handling future sex abuse allegations. Specifically, should the archbishop stand as the accused, revised policy requires he recuse himself from proceedings. That's when the moderator of the Curia, newly-appointed Father Jeff San Nicolas, will inform the apostolic delegate in the Pacific Oceania, Archbishop Martin Krebs, who will inform the Holy See.

As for his duties while assigned to Guam, Archbishop Hon clarifies that he isn't here to investigate Apuron. Only the Holy See, he said, can do that. "I do not have the authority to investigate Archbishop Apuron in this matter. My obligation is to ensure that all of the documentation related to this matter reaches the proper offices of the Holy See. This I have done promptly and with due diligence," he stated.

Archbishop Hon has yet to meet with the alleged victims, but invites them to meet even if it means he travel off-island or make arrangements for them to travel to Guam.

When asked about plans to settle the libel and slander lawsuit, Archbishop Hon only said, "The archdiocese needs to review and also to talk to legal counsel."

He wouldn't name church legal counsel nor would he provide any information on Archbishop Apuron's whereabouts.