GUAM
KUAM
Updated: Dec 04, 2016
By Krystal Paco
No offense to the new leadership at the helm of the Archdiocese of Agana, but protests will continue outside the Dulce Nombre De Maria Cathedral-Basilica every Sunday morning…with a slight change.
Sunday morning mass at the cathedral was more packed than usual, as Lou Klitzkie, the founder of the Laity Forward Movement, said, “We came out here today to picket for 20 minutes and then we’re going to mass.” She said it’s a gesture of good faith and welcome to Guam’s new coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes that they retire their signs early enough to attend mass and listen to the Gospel.
“We want to give Archbishop Byrnes a chance. We want to work with him. So we’ll give him that chance,” she added. The memo was sent to Archbishop Byrnes on December 4 and signed-off by Concerned Catholics of Guam president David Sablan, as well as Klitzkie. Both groups have spearheaded the weekly pickets since June and have had most of their demands met in recent months, including the restoration of Monsignor James Benavente and Father Paul Gofigan as well as the takeback of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Yona.
The letter to Archbishop Byrnes notes that only one demand has yet to be met – that’s to defrock Archbishop Anthony Apuron. “We’re going to continue picketing as long as Archbishop Apuron still holds the title of archbishop,” she said.
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