HAGåTñA (GUAM)
KUAM Radio [Guam]
September 7, 2022
By Nick Delgado
A message to the global leader of the Catholic Church: District Court of Guam Chief Judge Francis Tydingco-Gatewood issuing an order this week in connection the clergy sex abuse cases. In it, she writes – would Pope Francis be inclined to meet all Guam’s plaintiffs who alleged abuse at the hands of the church clergy?
The chief judge wants to know if the Pope would be open to discussing a potential global settlement with Guam’s victims. Her order comes after the Holy See argued a motion to dismiss a case against a victim, only identified in court documents as “D.M.”, who alleges former archbishop Anthony Apuron raped him several times in the mid-1990s.
The Holy See contends the court lacks jurisdiction to take on the case. The chief judge said last month she was inclined to toss the case.
The Holy See says it would have to consult with the vatican to find out if the Pope would be available to speak with the abuse victims.
The judge giving them until September 13 to file a response.
The Pope recently told media in Rome he takes responsibility for ending the abuse, adding the church has zero tolerance and that a priest cannot remain a priest if he is an abuser.