Apuron welcomes Guam’s new bishop to archdiocese

GUAM
KUAM

Updated: Nov 02, 2016

By Krystal Paco

In a statement to local press on Wednesday, Archbishop Anthony Apuron welcomes his successor to Guam as the new leader of the island’s Catholic faithful. “It is with great joy that I welcome the news of the appointment of Bishop Michael J. Byrnes as coadjutor archbishop of Agana by the Holy Father,” Apuon wrote.

Apuron’s last known location was in Rome, as captured in a video statement after allegations of child molestation surfaced against him. Although he doesn’t specify, Apuron states he remains on retreat “working with the authorities in the Vatican to establish my innocence.”

As we’ve been reporting, Apuron stands accused of sexually assaulting Roy Quintanilla, Walter Denton, Roland Sondia, and the late Joseph “Sonny” Quinata – all from Agat and all former altar servers at Mount Carmel Parish in the southern village where Apuron was a priest decades ago. In later months, Ramon Afaisen DePlata also publicly accused Apuron, stating he had witnessed the priest engaging in sexual affairs with an altar boy in the 1960s.

Apuron will have the opportunity to clear his name in a canonical trial to be held in the Vatican. Limited information has been made available on when that trial will take place.

Meanwhile, here at home Apuron faces a $2 million defamation suit and most recently a civil case for child sex abuse, which was filed at the Superior Court of Guam on Tuesday. “Despite my necessary absence,” Apuron wrote, “I offer my heartfelt thanks to the Archbishop Designate Byrnes for accepting this appointment. I commend him to the hearts and prayers of all the people of Guam, whom I know will give the warmest of welcomes.”

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.