Rms to Financially Break from the Archdiocese; Vows to Rely on Divine Providence, by Timothy Mchenry, Pacific News Center, October 13, 2016

Rms to Financially Break from the Archdiocese; Vows to Rely on "Divine Providence"

By Timothy Mchenry
Pacific News Center
October 13, 2016

http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/local/11233

The RMS board is disputing a report put out by an ad hoc committee formed at the behest of Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai.

Guam - Divine Providence—that's what the leaders of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary say they will rely on from now on to continue their operations.

Members of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary addressed the media today to respond to a seminary report released by an ad hoc committee put together by temporary archdiocese administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai.

The committee report confirmed some of the suspicions many have had about the Yona seminary's practices such as creating priests who aren't ready for religious life, that they aren't US accredited or that they're taking in more money than the archdiocese can afford.

But the RMS is disputing this, saying that they work with a program approved by the Lateran University that includes two years of philosophy and four years of theology. They also dispute the amount they receive from the archdiocese in subsidies.

"In the financial year 2016, the Archdiocese of Agana listed $92,450. Of these $64,800 was remuneration to the clergy which every diocese is obliged to pay, " says Eusabio. "Therefore the real subsidy for the RMS is only $26,100 during FY 2016. The priests related to the RMS donated to this institution $46,150 out of their salary. The real amount therefore is only 5 percent of the total budget."

And with that, RMS board member Dr. Ricardo Eusebio announced that they will discontinue their dependence on the Archdiocese of Agana for their subsidies.

"The subsidy from the archdiocese to the RMS was only 5 percent last fiscal year. Even though this amount is minimal and the archdiocese saves about $39,000 per year. If the seminarian were to study in the mainland. The Redemptoris Mater Seminary will be honored to rely from now totally on divine providence," said Eusabio.