HAGATNA, Guam — The new leader of the Catholic church in Guam will meet with his brother priests as his first order of business on Monday as he attempts to heal this U.S. territory rocked by allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy, even the current archbishop.

“I have been praying for those who have brought forward the allegations, who brought forward their own experience. I have great compassion for that,” Archbishop Michael Byrnes, 58, of Detroit told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “I’ve been praying for them.”

Byrnes has been sent by the Vatican to replace current Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron on an administrative basis. Apuron, 71, has been Guam’s highest Catholic leader for 30 years but faces a church trial over multiple allegations of sex abuse of altar boys in the 1970s. He denies the charges, and has not been criminally charged.

Byrnes said he had a conversation with Apuron and knows he is somewhere in the United States. “The tribunal investigation and trial of the archbishop has already begun,” Byrnes said.

Byrnes will have the right to succeed Apuron if he resigns, retires or is removed. Byrnes was auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit before Pope Francis appointed him to the Guam post.

While Apuron remains the archbishop in title, Byrnes said he has already been exercising pastoral responsibility for the archdiocese, and that he will continue to include Apuron in his Eucharistic prayers.

“Irrespective of guilt or innocence, we should always pray for each other, especially in difficult times,” Byrnes said.

Several civil lawsuits have been filed against the church after the governor this year signed a bill lifting the statute of limitations to sue alleged abusers and institutions that supported them.