Guam's Catholic Church Could Sell 41 Properties to Settle Clergy Abuse Cases

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
July 12, 2017

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/07/13/guams-catholic-church-could-sell-41-properties-settle-clergy-abuse-cases/474408001/

[with video]

Archdiocesan Finance Council president Richard Untalan, center, gestures as he talks about the list of Catholic Church properties that are available to help settle clergy sex abuse cases, during Thursday's news briefing. Also in photo are Council members Joe Rivera, left, and Chris Felix, right.

The Guam Catholic church's financial arm on Thursday released a list of 41 non-essential properties that could be sold to help settle more than 90 Guam clergy sexual abuse cases.

The most valuable of the assets are the former Accion Hotel, which now houses the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Yona, the chancery complex where the archbishop lives, and the former Thomas Aquinas High School in Ordot, the Archdiocesan Finance Council said.

The seminary in Yona has been run by the Neocatechumenal Way. Richard Untalan, president of the council, said matters related to the seminary are being handled by the Seminary Review Committee. He said the property is available as part of the settlement process, but the property has not been appraised for quite a while.

The Archdiocese of Agana is facing 91 childhood sexual abuse cases in local or federal court.

The archdiocese, through its Hope and Healing initiative, is trying to settle the sexual abuse cases out of court. Parties have yet to decide which retired California judge will handle the mediation, said attorney David Lujan, counsel for most plaintiffs, on Tuesday.

Contact: heugenio@guampdn.com