GUAM
Pacific News Center
[with video]
Guam – The controversy continues to boil at the Archdiocese of Agana as dozens of supporters, including island dignitaries, gathered in prayer for the latest crisis to hit the Catholic church, the termination of Monsignor James Benavente as rector of the Cathedral.
Monsignor James’ removal comes just days after Father John Wadeson was removed for a sex scandal dating back to the 1970s. But the Archdiocese denies any claims that the two events are in any way related.
Little is known about why Monsignor James Benavente was fired from the church as rector of the Cathedral de Basilica. Neither the Archdiocese nor Monsignor James have revealed the reasons. The news became public when Monsignor James informed his fellow brothers and sisters of his removal.
Tim Rohr is a close catholic observer who maintains a blog about the Catholic community on Guam. He tells PNC what he’s learned of Monsignor James’ removal.
“He’s accusing not just Monsignor James, but Monsignor James, Richard Untalan, Joe Rivera and Sister Steven Torres, who were the four members of the archdiocesan finance council that the archbishop terminated after they refused to permit the conveyance of the title of the old Accion hotel property to a separate corporation away from the archdiocese. And so the archbishop is accusing Monsignor James and those other three of trying to sell that property without the archbishop’s permission,” explains Rohr.
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