Plaintiffs maintain Guam archdiocese under Vatican control

By Mindy Aguon
Guam Daily Post
June 5, 2017

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/plaintiffs-maintain-guam-archdiocese-under-vatican-control/article_330b42c6-48e6-11e7-aafd-b3845650b885.html

A corporate disclosure statement filed by the Archbishop of Agana indicating it is a sole corporation is "misleading and inconsistent" with public records that show the relationship between the archdiocese and the Vatican, according to attorney David Lujan. He contends there is ample grounds on which to find diversity jurisdiction in dozens of child sex abuse cases filed against the church.

Lujan filed an objection to the church's corporate disclosure statement that declared the Archbishop of Agana has no parent corporation and no publicly traded corporation currently owns 10 percent or more of its stock.

The disclosure statement was filed as the church seeks the dismissal of dozens of child sex abuse lawsuits on the grounds that the federal court lacks diversity jurisdiction and the law that was passed allowing victims of child sexual abuse to file suit years later is "inorganic."

The attorney represents multiple victims in child sex abuse cases against former Guam priests.

‘Under the thumb of the Holy See’

Lujan maintains the corporate disclosure statement fails to properly represent the true nature of the relationship between the Archbishop of Agana and the Vatican. He contends that although the Archbishop of Agana is formally designated as a sole corporation, "it is in fact clearly subordinate to the Holy See and under its ultimate authority."

He refers to the Archdiocese of Agana's articles of incorporation that contains language he said confirms the direct influence and control exercised by the Holy See over the ''Archdiocese on Guam. Lujan maintains the archdiocese doesn't operate independently but instead "under the thumb of the Holy See."

The close, integrated relationship, Lujan wrote, provides a substantial basis to support diversity jurisdiction in the pending sex abuse lawsuits.

The plaintiffs note that if the church continues to object to the civil complaints based on lack of diversity, they will amend all of the lawsuits to remove the archdiocese and add the Holy See.

Lujan has requested the court schedule a hearing on the matter.