Father San Nicolas Says He Disobeyed Superiors, Releases Rms Report

By Janela Carrera
Pacific News Center
September 20, 2016

http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/local/10909


Father Jeff San Nicolas released the full Seminary Report to the media this afternoon.

Guam - Father Jeff San Nicolas, the delegate to Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, made a tearful plea to senators, the governor and churchgoers to carefully consider the consequences bill 326 will have on the local church.

Several dozen people filled the conference room at the Cathedral Basilica today to listen to Father Jeff San Nicolas' statement on bill 326, which seeks to lift the statute of limitations on civil litigation on child sex abuse.

Father San Nicolas' address on bill 326 did not differ much from that of Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, the temporary administrator for the Archdiocese of Agana. Archbishop Hon also called upon Governor Eddie Calvo to consider the bill and circulated a petition to call for its veto. Like Archbishop Hon, Father San Nicolas also apologized to victims and survivors of clergy sex abuse.

Father San Nicolas then spoke about the grave consequences bill 326 could have on the church, noting that bankruptcy and insolvency would be inevitable.

"The Archdiocese of Agana is not seeking to protect child sexual abusers of any kind. It simply desires the people of God to be well informed about the true effects of bill 326. Bankruptcy of the local church would be inevitable and attempts to exaggerate, minimize or obscure the effects of bankruptcy on the services provided by the church is not helpful," said Father San Nicolas.

Father San Nicolas says if the measure were to become law, the archdiocese would have to scramble to keep churches and schools open, which means sacrifices will have to be made elsewhere.

"The degree of sacrifice comes down to how much insurance coverage there is and whether parish assets and institutions are regarded by the court as assets of the diocese and available for lawsuits," he noted.

Father San Nicolas also made a plea to the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way. This is the faction of catholics who critics believe are responsible for the deep division within the local church. Members of the Neocatechumenal Way are signatories on a controversial deed restriction that essentially conveyed the multimillion dollar Yona property over to the Redemptoris Mater Seminary Corporation, which is now being used as a seminary primary for neocatechumenal priests.

Father San Nicolas talks about an exchange earlier in the month he had with Msgr. David C Quitugua, the acting rector for the RMS. Father San Nicolas notes that he had submitted a request to visit the RMS together with the group Laity Forward Movement and to inspect seminary documents. But he was told he needed Cardinal Feloni's permission first.

"This letter is all about authority and power. While intimidated at first, I came to realize that I was the proper church authority in the absence of the apostolic administrator," said San Nicolas.

"The intent of Msgr. David's letter was now clear to me. Neither I nor Archbishop Hon is the church authority over decision making regarding Redemptoris Mater Seminary, even over simple matters such as who can visit. Cardinal Feloni is in charge," he noted.

"I was also instructed not to release the seminary visitation report. I will do just that soon after this press briefing. I realize that I am taking a stand against my superiors but I must because the vast majority of the people on Guam who have suffered from a leadership over the past several years has not been kept informed about issues that directly concern them," he added.

The full Seminary Report was released to the media this afternoon.