BishopAccountability.org

Concerned Catholics of Guam prepping for possible lengthy litigation

By Krystal Paco
KUAM
August 22, 2016

http://www.kuam.com/story/32809037/2016/08/22/concerned-catholics-of-guam-prepping-for-possible-lengthy-litigation


[with video]

[with pdf]

It's the Archdiocese of Agana's biggest asset. (Or at least it was.)

Once a hotel but converted into a seminary, the Redemptoris Mater Seminary is estimated to value up to $75 million. In a secret transaction back in 2011 however, Archbishop Anthony Apuron gave the property away for free - and for the last year has directly disobeyed Pope Francis' orders to rescind and annul a deed restriction.

While apostolic administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai is asking for the new owners to hand back the property without going to court, the Concerned Catholics of Guam organization is preparing for what could be a lengthy litigation.

It's the new multi-million dollar question, posed by CCOG president Dave Sablan: "We ask - will the board of guarantors and the board of directors of the RMS Corporation do the right thing and return the property to the Archdiocese of Agana?" In a press conference on Monday, he said the group is preparing for what could be a lengthy court battle to take back the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Yona. As we reported, a declaration of deed restriction essentially assigned the RMS property, which once belonged to the Archdiocese of Agana, to the non-profit Redemptoris Mater Seminary Corporation in perpetuity or forever.

Listed as the board of guarantors are Archbishop Apuron, Father Angelo Pochetti, and Guisseppie and Claudia Gennarini. Guisseppie is the founder of the Neocathemunal Way in the United Stated mainland. In his release last week, Archbishop Hon asked that the new owners work in collaboration and obedience to give back the Yona property without taking the matter to court.

In the event they don't, Sablan says the CCOG is already securing legal counsel, but refused to name who.

"We are raising funds and we are studying the matter of going to court and we have all the documents. It's just a matter of now of some final touches before we make that move," he said. "Since Archbishop Apuron did not follow church law it would follow that there was a conspiracy to defraud the people of Guam with regards to that property, so we're checking into all of that."

Even if the property isn't owned by the Archdiocese of Agana, Sablan contends the local church continues to fund the seminary and the formation of Neocatechumenal priests. "CCOG demands financial transparency," Sablan stated definitively. "We want to know where our contributions are going."

In response to today's press conference, the Archdiocese of Agana provided a statement"Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, SDB issued his message of Thursday, Aug. 18 in the spirit of great hope and collaboration with all Catholics. The Church will update the Faithful as it progresses in this area."




.


Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.