GUAM
Pacific Daily News
Written by
Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Sunday News
An attempt to transfer the title of one of the Guam Catholic Church’s largest real estate assets, the former Accion Hotel in Yona, has become a focal point in recent discussions about the local church’s financial transparency and leadership shakeup.
The controversy started weeks ago when an anonymous group of Guam Catholics issued a public challenge for Archbishop Anthony Apuron to release audited statements of the Church’s income, liabilities and assets, particularly the state of ownership of the former Accion Hotel.
The 100-room, oceanside hotel was bought more than a decade ago for $2 million, and could be worth $35 million to $75 million depending on estimates. It now is being used to host the Redemptoris Mater Seminary and a theological institute.
Monsignor James Benavente, who was recently fired from being the rector of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica, was one of several directors on the Archdiocesan Finance Council who were fired in 2012 after they voted against the proposed transfer of title to the property, documents state. Archbishop Anthony Apuron had written a letter to the council advocating the title change, documents state.
Businessman Richard Untalan, Sister Mary Stephen Torres and former government of Guam budget official Joe Rivera were the finance council officials who were fired.
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