GUAM
Pacific Daily News
Haidee V Eugenio , heugenio@guampdn.com Feb. 2, 2017
Four days after briefly joining peaceful protest in front of the cathedral, Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes said he supports and respects clergy sex abuse victims’ and their supporters’ quest for justice, which he said is ongoing both at the Vatican and in the civil courts.
Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron is accused of sexually abusing former altar boys, and his canonical trial has started at the Vatican. Byrnes said Apuron is not required to be at the Vatican for the duration of the trial, but said there is a point in the trial where Apuron’s presence will be required.
Apuron, who has not been seen on Guam since he was placed on leave last June, recently was tracked down in Fairfield, California, by Attorney David Lujan’s law firm, Lujan & Wolff, which represents 15 alleged clergy sex abuse survivors.
Byrnes said, when he had the opportunity to briefly meet Apuron in Baltimore, Maryland, where the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops held its annual fall general assembly from Nov. 14 to 16, 2016, he knew Apuron had arrived from California.
Apuron’s legal counsel, Jacqueline Terlaje, said Wednesday “the Archbishop is in a location where he is able to continue working on defending his innocence, without distraction.”
Byrnes said the Archdiocese of Agana provides financial support to Apuron, as required by canon law, which governs the Catholic Church
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