New documents filed in church lawsuit

By Sabrina Salas Matanane
KUAM
November 14, 2016

http://www.kuam.com/story/33699570/2016/11/Monday/new-documents-filed-in-church-lawsuit

Even with a new bishop heading to Guam it's not enough to quiet the protests  every Sunday at the Hagatna Cathedral. Additionally just today new documents have been filed in the defamation lawsuit filed against the local Catholic Church and Archbishop Anthony Apuron.

On any given Sunday, you'll find them in front of the cathedral. Concerned Catholics and members of the Laity Forward Movement have been protesting for several months and according to Gerry Taitano they're not going to stop. "We don't want to hear his name during the masses Thanksgiving prayer, God bless Apuron, Archbishop Apuron we just want him out," he explained.

But Archbishop Apuron isn't out officially despite allegations of sexual molestation and questions as to whether the Redemptoris Mater Seaminary property in Yona still belongs to the local archdiocese.  Currently Archbishop Apuron along with the archdiocese are being sued for defamation and most recently a complaint for damages  was filed by four victims of alleged clergy sexual abuse. Documents filed with the court even indicate accused pedophile priest Father Louis Brouillard confessed to abusing boys when he was a priest and a teacher of sex education on Guam in the 1940's through the 1970's.

Father. Brouillard also admitted on video that he told the church's higher-ups who responded to pray about it. Weekly protestor CCOG's Andrew Camacho said, "So that's a scary thought that abusive priests were known about and nothing concrete was done about it, so that means young people were at risk for many, many years."

The archbishop has vehemently denied the allegations, a canonical trial is pending. Additionally in court documents related to the defamation lawsuit filed just today the archbishop through his attorney have provided additional reasons as to why the defamation suit should be dismissed.