Byrnes Files Complaint in Superior Court

By Neil Pang
Guam Daily Post
November 26, 2016

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/byrnes-files-complaint-in-superior-court/article_21168f4e-b2dc-11e6-a77b-77471d6399f3.html

While the newly appointed Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes is set to arrive on Guam next Monday, Nov. 28, he has already taken steps to address some concerns of the island's Catholic faithful.

Last week Wednesday, Nov. 16, Byrnes formally annulled the deed restriction placed on the Redemptoris Mater Seminary property in Yona, removing any doubt under whose patrimony the former Hotel Accion resides.

Additionally, Byrnes dissolved the RMS board of guarantors and restructured the board of directors to include only the archbishop of Agana.

Since then, Byrnes has additionally amended the articles of incorporation filed with the Department of Revenue and Taxation to no longer include verbiage specifying that RMS was a house of formation meant to "prepare men for the priesthood for the new evangelization following the life and itinerary of the Neocatechumenal Way," according to court documents.

Sole and exclusive title

On Wednesday, Nov. 23, Byrnes again filed documents - this time with the Superior Court of Guam. With this latest filing, Byrnes pre-emptively asserted that not only does he, as Archbishop of Agana, have sole and exclusive title to the four parcels of land that contain RMS, but that, additionally, none of the defendants named in the complaint have any "enforceable, legal or equitable interest" in the Yona properties.

Brynes identified the defendants in the complaint as: RMS, RMS House of Formation, the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Catholic Theological Institute for Oceania and "all other persons, unknown, claiming any right, title, estate, lien or other interest in the real property described in the complaint."

'Opening a new chapter'

According to a release put out yesterday by the Archdiocese of Agana, Byrnes is expected to arrive here on Nov. 28. Stating that "the Archdiocese of Agana is opening a new chapter in its history," the release announced plans for two islandwide celebrations welcoming Byrnes on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

The first celebratory event is a scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica, and is described as a "prayer for the beginning of the episcopal ministry of Coadjutor Archbishop Byrnes."

The second event, which will mark the start of the novena of Masses honoring Santa Marian Kamalen, is set for 6 p.m. the same day, also at the cathedral. The release noted that, "Archbishop Byrnes will celebrate his first island-wide Mass here with Archbishop Savio Hon Tai, SDB, visiting bishops and Guam priests."

Hon, who was appointed by the pope as the apostolic administrator of Agana on June 6, will return to Rome on Dec. 1.