GUAM
Pacific Daily News
November 4, 2017
By Haidee V Eugenio
The Archdiocese of Agana will compile a list of clergy with credible allegations of child sexual abuse against them, according to Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes.
The Catholic Church on Guam faces more than 140 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse decades ago by 16 different clergy members.
“It would be an important compliance to our own policy,” Byrnes said, as the Archdiocese of Agana rolls out revised policies on protecting young people, trains church workers and volunteers, and revives an independent review board on the investigation of alleged clergy abuses.
Because Guam clergy sex abuse accusers and defendants are pursuing mediation to try to settle the lawsuits, there is no telling yet how soon the archdiocesan list could be compiled and released to the public.
Seattle-based attorney Michael Pfau said releasing the names of the accused is a positive step, but the archdiocese should also provide complete files on abusive priests.
“Only then will the archdiocese show complete transparency,” Pfau said. “The people of Guam deserve to know the histories of abusive priests and the decisions of the church related to those priests.”
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