Guam Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes fires 4 advisers for betraying his trust

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
August 27, 2017

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/08/27/guam-archbishop-removes-4-advisers-tbd/588648001/

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes, center, during Sunday Mass at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagatña on Aug. 27, 2017. Photo by Frank San Nicolas

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes recently removed four clergy members from his advisory team, stating they were insubordinate, defied his leadership and betrayed his trust.

All four removed team members are affiliated with the Neocatechumenal Way, whose practices sometimes are at odds with the island's traditional Catholic community.

At issue is a letter they sent in June to a Vatican official, also affiliated with the Way, instead of talking to Byrnes.

Byrnes terminated Monsignor David C. Quitugua, Rev. Fr. Jose Alberto Rodriguez-Salamanca, Rev. Fr. Julio Cesar Sanchez, and Rev. Fr. Rodolfo Arejola from the archbishop's Presbyteral Council.

Under canon law, a presbyteral council is a group of priests which acts like a senate of the bishop and assists the bishop in the governance of the diocese according to the norm of law to promote pastoral good.

"As discussed, your membership on the presbyteral council is terminated because of insubordination," Byrnes wrote in his letter, a copy of which was obtained Tuesday. "Specifically, by writing directly to his Eminence Fernando Cardinal Filoni on June 27, 2017, instead of properly directing your concerns to me, you have defied my leadership and betrayed my trust."

Arejola, when sought for comment, referred questions about his termination to the Archdiocese of Agana.

Quitugua, acting rector of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, along with Sanchez and Rodriguez-Salamanca did not respond to requests for comment.

Tony Diaz, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Agana, confirmed on Wednesday that the archbishop removed the four from his Presbyteral Council in July.

"They are no longer on the Presbyteral Council," he said.

Diaz said the archdiocese could not comment on the specific reasons for the revocation of their appointments.

The archbishop, based on his letters, discussed the termination with three of the four former advisers. One was off island prior to the letter sent out.

"This letter confirms our discussion today that your membership on the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Agana is terminated effective immediately," Byrnes wrote.

David Sablan, president of Concerned Catholics of Guam, said Thursday the archbishop has every right to remove members of his own advisory council if they are undermining his authority over the church on Guam.

He said the four essentially stabbed the archbishop in the back.

Sablan said the four Way-affiliated priests' letter, based on information he gathered, asked Filoni to stop Byrnes and the Archdiocese of Agana from selling the Yona property where the Way-controlled Redemptoris Mater Seminary sits.

"These four went behind the archbishop's back. They talked to Cardinal Filoni about a matter that should have been discussed with their own archbishop, and if Archbishop Byrnes did not agree with their position, then they should respect that," Sablan said.

As stated in Byrnes' letter, the four former advisers wrote to Filoni on June 27.

Filoni is prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which is responsible for the Catholic Church's worldwide missionary work and related activities.

"Filoni is the Neocatechumenal Way's strongest ally at the Vatican because of his friendship with one of the co-founders, Kiko Arguello. But this cardinal went beyond his authority by interfering in the affairs of the Archdiocese of Agana," Sablan said. "If you recall, Cardinal Filoni gave the order last year to stop some Catholics from visiting the Yona seminary that is being paid for by Catholics."

The archdiocese had announced that the Yona property where the Way-controlled seminary sits, is one of 41 church non-essential assets that could be sold to help settle nearly 100 clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed against the archdiocese and clergy.

Sablan said the Way wants to retain its presence on Guam by holding on to the Yona seminary, and are also hoping that one of their own, Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, would be back on Guam to continue leading the church.

Apuron was temporarily stripped of his administrative powers over the archdiocese on June 6, 2016, after former altar boys publicly accused him of sexually abusing or raping them in the 1970s. Apuron's Vatican canonical trial is still ongoing.

Apuron also faces civil lawsuits for alleged rape and sexual abuse of children. He is also faced with a libel and slander suit for calling is accusers liars.

The four that Byrnes removed were elected members of the council, and their membership on that council came into effect June 1.

Byrnes issued a pastoral letter asking the Way to put a one-year review pause on its formation of new communities, celebrate Mass in accordance with the Catholic Church's general instructions and norms, and appointed a delegate to help review the Way's basic pastoral theology principles or teachings.

Effective July 16 or prior to the revocation of the four's appointments, Byrnes appointed Monsignor James L.G. Benavente as a member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors.

Benavente continues to serve as the archbishop's delegate for church patrimony.

Father Melchor T. Camina, now the chancellor of the curia, or a group of officials who assist in the governance of the local Catholic Church, said on Wednesday it is the archbishop's prerogative to revoke the appointment of the members of his own advisory council, for reasons.

Camina replaced the Rev. Father Jose Antonio “Lito” Abad as chancellor.

He said the council's membership at the moment is sufficient to carry on its functions, despite no replacement for all those whose appointments were revoked.

The council currently has 12 members, down from 15 in June.

Quitugua and Rodriguez-Salamanca are among the five, along with Father Adrian Cristobal, Father Edivaldo da Silva Oleveira and Deacon Frank Tenorio, that Concerned Catholics of Guam said the archdiocese should remove, for allegedly abusing their power.

Prior to his removal on the Presbyteral Council, Quitugua had already resigned, effective June 18, as a member of the archbishop's College of Consultors. The archdiocese confirmed in June that Byrnes asked Quitugua to step down from the college.

From the Presbyteral Council, Byrnes gets to appoint members to the College of Consultors, a governing body when the archdiocese becomes impeded or vacant.

The following is the updated list of the Presbyteral Council, based on data from the archdiocese:

1. Most Rev. Michael J. Byrnes, D.D., president
2. Rev. Fr. Joel de los Reyes, chairman
3. Rev. Fr. Richard Kidd, vice-chairman
4. Rev. Fr. Melchor T. Camiña, secretary
5. Very Rev. Msgr. Brigido U. Arroyo
6. Rev. Fr. Patrick Castro, OFM, Cap.
7. Rev. Fr. Romeo D. Convocar
8. Rev. Fr. Michael Crisostomo
9. Rev. Fr. Paul Gofigan
10. Rev. Fr. Thomas McGrath, S.J.
11. Rev. Fr. Jeffrey San Nicolas
12. Very Rev. Msgr. James Benavente

The archdiocese also said the College of Consultors now consists of the following:

1. Most Rev. Michael J. Byrnes, D.D., president
2. Very Rev. Msgr. Brigido U. Arroyo
3. Rev. Fr. Melchor T. Camiña, secretary
4. Rev. Fr. Romeo D. Convocar
5. Rev. Fr. Michael Crisostomo
6. Rev. Fr. Richard Kidd
7. Rev. Fr. Jeffrey San Nicolas
8. Very Rev. Msgr. James Benavente