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"There Is a Lot of Hope" for Church

By Chris Wong
Guam Daily Post
December 1, 2016

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/byrnes-there-is-a-lot-of-hope-for-church/article_43688568-b6b3-11e6-a378-679d58c9d57d.html



A chorale ensemble sang religious hymnals deep from within the Dulce Nombre De Maria Cathedral-Basilica, the music echoing through the hall, making its way through a corner vestibule of the cathedral where Coadjutor Archbishop Michael J. Byrnes shared his thoughts on pain during a preconference event Wednesday, before the official start of his episcopal ministry of the Catholic Church on Guam.

"Pain is something we all fear, but it’s something we can’t avoid," Byrnes said. "We as a church here in Guam, there’s a lot of pain, a lot of different kinds of pain. Betrayal of trust causes pain, we experience from the news of honestly the sexual abuse of minors the accusations, the allegations, the victims themselves are suffering tremendous pain, shame, guilt, but that pain radiates. It radiates throughout our dioceses, and in this pain, one of the pains we feel is our inability to trust one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. That pain of alienations is one of the deepest, we question each other, we even start to question God. 'Where are you in all of this?'

A lot to learn

“I know I’ve got a lot to learn over these weeks, days, months and years. I know that there is a lot of hope, and I know just having a new face, a new person lifts a little bit of some of the pain and some of the sadness. One of the things I wanted to say today might be a little shock to you,” Byrnes said.

“I’m not the one here to heal the pain, that’s not why I came, I can’t do it, but I know someone who can, that’s Jesus. It’s not just Jesus up in Heaven doing his thing, but it’s us. We are the Church, we are the body of Christ, we are his hands, his feet, his heart. It’s through our effort, exercising the body of Christ. Exercising the multiple and various gifts we share too. That can bring back unity to the Church. It is his word through us that can bring about the healing. It starts in the hearts of each one of us. The fulfillment of life and love that he brings. I need to see past the pain, I need to see past the betrayal, I need to see past my suspicion of another and try to perceive the good in their heart," said Byrnes, alluding to the scandal that has deeply divided the Church on Guam.

Since arriving on the island early Monday. It’s been a whirlwind of activity for Byrnes, who said he’s still fighting jet lag. Byrnes, a native of Detroit and an auxiliary bishop within the Detroit Archdiocese, was appointed by Pope Francis on Oct. 31 in preparing to be permanently installed as coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Agana.

He replaces Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, apostolic administrator for the Archdiocese of Agana, who returned to Rome. Hon arrived on June 8 to assume control of the archdiocese after Archbisop Anthony Apuron and other longtime members of the clergy were implicated in civil suits alleging sexual abuse. Apuron has been recalled to the Vatican to face a canonical trial.

Seminary property

Since the Halloween announcement by the Vatican, many painful points of controversy for protesters of the church have been addressed. On Nov. 16, Byrnes formally annulled the deed restriction placed on the Redemptoris Mater Seminary property in Yona and dissolved the RMS board of guarantors and restructured the board of directors to include only the archbishop of Agana.

Additionally Byrnes 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.

Byrnes said he had reached out to a church victims advocate group. Byrnes also said he has "no set intention on the replacement of priests,” and that he intends to try and meet with “as many priests as I can. I have no preconceived plan.”

Regarding the trial of Apuron by the Church, Byrnes said he could not confirm the possibility of actual jail time imposed by the Vatican.

“I don’t know that if there is a conviction, there is a canonical penalty. There are a variety of penalties, and I don’t know if it would go that far, I really don’t know,” Byrnes said.

 

 

 

 

 




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