Archbishop of Guam denies abuse allegations and welcomes Vatican envoy

VATICAN CITY/GUAM
Catholic Herald (UK)

In a video filmed in St Peter’s Square, Archbishop Anthony Apuron said he was a ‘victim of horrible calumnies’

The Archbishop of Guam says he welcomes the appointment of a Vatican administrator to run the Catholic Church on the Pacific island pending an investigation into allegations he sexually abused young boys decades ago.

In a video shot in St Peter’s Square, Archbishop Anthony Apuron spoke to his flock in the US territory, insisting he remained their archbishop and was a “victim of these horrible calumnies.”

Pope Francis on Monday named a high-ranking Vatican official to take over the Agana archdiocese after abuse allegations against Archbishop Apuron resurfaced in recent weeks. A church deacon publicly accused Apuron of keeping the archdiocese’s sex abuse policy weak to protect himself.

The Archbishop has accused the deacon, Stephen Martinez, of being part of a conspiracy to oust him over a soured property deal.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.