It Takes Time to Rebuild Trust in Church after Abuse Scandal

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
April 24, 2018

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2018/04/24/archbishop-takes-time-rebuild-trust-church-after-abuse-scandal/544856002/

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes on Tuesday said it takes time to win back peoples' trust in the Catholic Church after the clergy sex abuse scandal broke, but he said the Archdiocese of Agana has been making headway in trying to bring a measure of justice to more than 160 victims and in preventing more abuse from happening.

Byrnes, who was appointed coadjutor archbishop in October 2016, was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Tumon Bay's weekly meeting Tuesday at the Pacific Star Resort & Spa.

His predecessor, former Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, is one of dozens of Guam clergy members who have been accused of sexually abusing minors decades ago, in more than 160 lawsuits filed in local and federal courts. A Vatican tribunal in March found Apuron guilty of some accusations in a case that includes child sex abuse allegations.

Easy to lose, hard to win back trust

Byrnes said the sex abuse scandal shook peoples' trust in the institution. Some 85 percent of Guam's population is Catholic.

"It's easy to lose trust. It's hard to win it back. We're doing our best to try to win it back but it just takes a lot of time," Byrnes said during a question-and-answer with club members.

He was responding to a question about whether or not the archdiocese has seen a decline in church membership, attendance and donations.

"I'm still kind of gaining perspective, but what I hear is that it's declined...especially when a scandal as large as the sexual abuse situation happens. It shakes trust," Byrnes said.

'A matter of justice'

Parties in the more than 160 clergy sex abuse lawsuits are pursuing mediation to try to settle the cases out of court.

Since March 21, attorneys for the archdiocese and other defendants such as the Boy Scouts of America have been interviewing plaintiffs for more details about the nature of the clergy abuse they experienced and how that has impacted their lives. Mediation has been reset for Sept. 17 to 19.

"We're marking some headway," Byrnes told Rotarians. "We're getting very close to having signatures on mediation protocol to deal with the civil complaints put forward from plaintiffs. That's a good thing. It's a matter of justice. It brings some measure of justice," Byrnes said, adding that full justice cannot happen, given the magnitude of the situation.

But Byrnes said the archdiocese has been doing its best to prevent abuse from happening again, including revising its sexual abuse policy to be fully aligned with the "United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," and mandatory safe environment training for those working for the archdiocese, its 26 parishes, its 14 schools and volunteers.

Financial challenges

Byrnes said the archdiocese is also dealing with financial challenges. Under his leadership, the archdiocese hired a finance officer, Josie Villanueva, whose team has brought financial order and tightened internal controls within the archdiocese, Byrnes said.

The archdiocese has also identified 41 assets, including the chancery and the former Redemptoris Mater Seminary, to help settle the cases filed by clergy sex abuse victims.

In responding to a Rotarian's question, Byrnes said the archdiocese is open to bringing in a religious order that is involved in education.

Living in a society focused on 'now'

Byrnes said people live in a society focused entirely on "what's going on right now" or "what's trending" right now. They can be overwhelming, he said.

He talked about the Christian faith that allows people to go back and reflect on the history of the church.

"And there's something that's very strengthening to know that I'm part of a history, and I'm not just dangling in some ephemeral present but I'm part of a history and there will be an end," he told Rotarians. "And the capacity to date back into one's history, spiritual history and just a regular history, is a way of getting perspective and again in the situation where we tend to look into now and forget until the next now happens."

Contact: heugenio@guampdn.com