GUAM
NPR
November 7, 2018
By Colin Dwyer
The Catholic Church in Guam has announced plans to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy, in an attempt to cope with the scores of sexual abuse claims against clergy in the U.S. territory. Archbishop Michael Byrnes said the Archdiocese of Agana settled on the move as the most expedient way to support the alleged victims.
“Over the last two years, we’ve done our best. We’ve strengthened our policies for a safe environment. We’ve educated over 2,000 people in the practices of safe environment protection of minors. We’ve made a lot of great strides,” Byrnes said at a news conference Wednesday.
“But our biggest issue is the almost 200 victim survivors of sexual abuse.”
Byrnes took over as archbishop on the West Pacific island in 2016, shortly after his predecessor, Anthony Apuron, was suspended under a cloud of suspicion. Apuron has been accused of sexually abusing minors — including his own nephew — and helping to cover up similar abuses by priests and other Catholic authority figures in Guam. The allegations date back decades.
Earlier this year the Vatican convicted Apuron of unspecified charges, removed him from office and forbade him from returning to the territory, according to the Catholic News Agency. Apuron has flatly denied the allegations; the news service notes that Pope Francis is personally considering his appeal.
Meanwhile, back in Guam, the Catholic Church has been buried under a mound of lawsuits connected to the accusations. Keith Talbot, an attorney for the Church, said the decision to file bankruptcy grew out of information gleaned from mediation sessions beginning in September.
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