GUAM
KUAM
By Krystal Paco
He’s the leader of Guam’s faithful. Archbishop Michael Byrnes was appointed to the Archdiocese of Agana two years ago. At the time there were only a handful of clergy sexual abuse lawsuits. Though the count is now upwards of 160-lawsuits, he’s worked tirelessly to prevent future cases. And his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
He’s the recipient of this year’s Visionary Voice Award. Earlier this week, Archbishop Byrnes accepted the award during a proclamation signing to commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center award recognizes those around the country who have committed to ending sexual violence. Why was Archbishop Byrnes nominated?
Clinical Psychologist and past Visionary Voice Award winner, Dr. Juan Rapadas, explained, saying, “With the aim to ensure transparency and accountability 0237 while addressing the issue of clergy sexual abuse on Guam, Archbishop Byrnes has facilitated review of and updates to the archdiocese policies on protecting our young people. He also initiated training of church workers and volunteers and has revived an independent review board on the investigation on alleged clergy abuse.”
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