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Byrnes Cuts Seminary’s Ties to Neocatechumenal Way

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific News Center
November 17, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/11/17/byrnes-cuts-seminarys-ties-neocatechumenal-way/93997058/

Dr. Ricardo Eusebio of theRedemptorisMater Seminary board of directors, left, defends the seminary at a press conference in Yona on Oct. 13. After refuting allegations of wrongdoing from the Catholic Archdiocese of Agana, Eusebio said, "The Neocatechumenal Way will always be. God will pave the way,"

When Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes signed documents to regain full control of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary property in Yona, he also cut the seminary’s ties to the Neocatechumenal Way by, among other things, making sure the seminarians will be prepared for priesthood in accordance with the precepts of the Holy Roman Catholic faith.

Byrnes used his authority to take back control of the multimillion dollar property that hosts the RMS and the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Catholic Theological Institute for Oceania, both controlled by the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Neocatechumenal Way is an organization within the Catholic Church founded by Kiko Arguello in Spain in 1964 but its beliefs and practices conflict with Guam's Catholic faithful.

The Way, as it is also called, came to Guam in 1996 and Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron became one of its members.

“I guess you could say this is the start of the dismantling of the Neocatechumenal Way on Guam,” Concerned Catholics of Guam President David Sablan said Thursday. The group has opposed actions taken by Apuron in recent years, including his decision to deed the seminary to The Way, and has called for his removal. “One can see how the NCW has influenced Apuron and he allowed himself, as archbishop of Agana, to do the bidding of the hierarchy of the Neocatechumenal Way — Pius Sammut, the Gennarinis, Arguello. They destroyed the fabric of our church by creating a division between them and the rest of the Catholics.”

Apuron, who is now facing a canonical trial at the Vatican over multiple allegations of sexually abusing altar boys in Agat in the 1970s, deeded the property indefinitely in 2011 to the seminary and theological institute, run by the Neocatechumenal Way.

Pope Francis appointed Byrnes, 58, on Oct. 31 as coadjutor archbishop, who has the right to succeed Apuron if Apuron, 71, resigns, retires or is removed.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, the secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome, who was sent by the Vatican to temporarily take over the Guam church on June 6, said Apuron defied the pope's desire, since 2015, to lift the unusual deed restriction.

Byrnes has replaced the seminary’s previous stated purpose, of preparing men for the priesthood “following the life and itinerary of the Neocatechumenal Way as a way of formation.”

Archbishop Michael Byrnes (Photo: Courtesy of Archdiocese of Detroit)

Byrnes amended Article III of the RMS Corporation’s articles of incorporation to read, in part, “The purpose of the Corporation shall be to establish and conduct a House of Formation to prepare men for the priesthood, in accordance with the precepts of the Holy Roman Catholic faith. The Corporation is organized for the convenience of administration of temporalities of, and the management of certain properties or estates of, the Holy Roman Catholic Church through the Archbishop of Agana, a Corporation Sole.”

Byrnes was able to make the change in his capacity as the RMS board of directors’ sole director and corporation chairman, president and secretary.

The Rev. Pius Sammut, former rector of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary and one of the persons responsible for bringing the Neocatechumenal Way to Guam, could not be reached for comment since Tuesday. Other Neocatechumenal Way leaders were also sought for comment, but no statements were obtained as of Thursday.

Sablan said because many of the seminarians at RMS were brought to Guam from different countries to become priests in the Neocatechumenal Way, the archdiocese will have to decide whether to send them back to their original place or archdiocese, or continue to host them, but under the newly stated purpose of the seminary.

No more lawsuit

The Concerned Catholics of Guam also said Thursday it will no longer file a lawsuit to ensure that the archdiocese regains full control of the $40 million to $75 million seminary property, since Byrnes has already done so.

“Archbishop Byrnes did it so well, and the articles of incorporation now conforms with the wishes of the donors of the $2 million — Carmelite nuns — to acquire the property for the archdiocese, not for any other entity,” Sablan said.

While the CCOG is no longer filing a lawsuit, Sablan said it will resist any effort to challenge the return of the Yona property to the archdiocese.

Contact: heugenio@guampdn.com

 

 

 

 

 




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