Archdiocese investigates allegations against Adrian Cristobal

By Haidee V. Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
May 8, 2018

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2018/05/08/archdiocese-investigates-cristobal-allegations/588925002/

In this 2014 photo, Father Adrian Cristobal gives an opening prayer at All Souls' Day Mass at Guam Memorial Park in Barrigada. He was reassigned to the Umatac church.

The Archdiocese of Agana said it is investigating the allegations against former Chancellor Adrian Cristobal, who has been ordered to immediately return to Guam from his mission in the Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona.

Cristobal is now twice accused of sexual abuses, from 1995 to 2013, based on lawsuits filed on April 10 and May 7.

The archdiocese did a preliminary investigation regarding the first allegation against Cristobal and the findings were forwarded to the independent review board in accordance with strengthened sexual abuse policy, according to Tony Diaz, director of communications for the archdiocese.

Diaz said the board itself is not involved in conducting investigations.

"Rather, the independent review board serves as a confidential, consultative body. Its duty is to objectively review the findings of the investigation and advise the archbishop in his assessment of allegations of sexual abuse of minors," Diaz said.

The same process will be applied in the second allegation against Cristobal, who studied canon law in Ottawa, Canada.

"The archdiocese takes all allegations of sexual abuse seriously. With this new allegation against Father Adrian, the archdiocese will follow the same steps outlined in our policy," Diaz said.

The archdiocese heard from Cristobal via e-mail on April 18, Diaz said.

"We have since communicated to him again that he is to return to Guam expeditiously," Diaz said.

On April 11, or a day after the archdiocese received official notification of the first lawsuit, the archdiocese issued a directive to Cristobal to return home immediately, according to Diaz.

Cristobal has yet to respond to the newspaper's request for comment on the allegations against him.

While in Phoenix, Cristobal hasn't been receiving a salary or honorarium from the Archdiocese of Agana, Diaz said earlier.

The investigations into allegations against Cristobal are putting to the test the archdiocese's revised policy against sexual abuse involving clergy and others associated with the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai amended the policy in August 2016, two months after former Archbishop Anthony Apuron was placed on administrative leave by the Vatican. Former altar boys accused Apuron of sexually abusing them in the 1970s. 

Child sexual abuse allegations against Apuron went unchecked for years because of an inadequate policy for the protection of children and young people, the archdiocese had said.

Under Apuron, any investigation into allegations against the archbishop or other priests was to be decided by the archbishop himself.

Under the revised policy, the decision about whether to move forward with an investigation rests with the independent review board.

Under church policy, if a bishop or archbishop is accused of sexual abuse, the Vatican is supposed to be notified immediately.

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes also aligned the archdiocese's sexual abuse policy with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The policy requires automatic reporting to police and other civil authorities of any allegation of clergy sex abuse involving minors, suspension of the clergy if the accusation is deemed credible and while the investigation is still ongoing and permanent removal from ministry if the sexual abuse allegations are substantiated.

J.C.C., the second plaintiff, said in his lawsuit that Cristobal sexually abused and raped him for about 18 years or from 1995 through 2013 at two parishes, the school, the priest's residence, his vehicle, and at a private beach in Ipan.

J.C.C., represented by attorney David Lujan, said in his lawsuit that for the first few years, the sexual abuse happened almost every day. The abuses then progressed to rape.

The first lawsuit was filed by L.J.C., who said in his complaint that Cristobal abused and molested him on several occasions from about 1995 to 1997. L.J.C is also represented by Lujan.