Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña explained

Jurisdiction:Metropolitan Archdiocese
Agaña
Latin:Archidiœcesis Metropolitae Aganiensis
Local:Arquidiócesis Metropolitano de Agaña
Coat:Coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Agaña.svg
Coat Caption:Coat of arms
Country: United States
Territory: Guam
Province:Ecclesiastical province of Agaña
Area Sqmi:215
Population:155,687
Population As Of:2006
Catholics:132,494
Catholics Percent:85.1
Parishes:26
Denomination:Catholic
Sui Iuris Church:Latin Church
Rite:Roman Rite
Established:March 1, 1911 (years ago)
Cathedral:Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica
Bishop Title:Archbishop
Metro Archbishop:Ryan Pagente Jimenez
Vicar General:Fr. Jeffrey San Nicolas
Map:Archdiocese of Agaña map.png

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agaña (Latin: Archidiœcesis Metropolitae Aganiensis , Spanish: Arquidiócesis Metropolitano de Agaña) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese. It comprises the United States dependency of Guam. The prelate is an archbishop whose cathedral is the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica.

The archdiocese is a member of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) and of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania, and an observer to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

History

The first Catholic church was established on Guam on June 15, 1668 by Spanish-Filipino missionaries Diego Luis de San Vitores and Pedro Calungsod.[1] Catholics in Guam were part of the Diocese of Cebu, the Philippines. The United States acquired Guam from Spain after the Spanish–American War of 1898. On September 17, 1902, the Apostolic Prefecture of Mariana Islands was established which included Guam.

On March 1, 1911, the Apostolic Vicariate of Guam was canonically erected. On July 4, 1946, territory was added from the suppressed Vicariate Apostolic of Marianne, Caroline, and Marshall Islands.

On October 14, 1965, the Vatican elevated the apostolic vicariate to the Diocese of Agaña, as a suffragan diocese to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco.

On March 8, 1984, in response to the growth of Catholicism in Guam and its vicinity, the diocese was elevated to a metropolitan see, the Archdiocese and Metropolitan Province of Agaña. The metropolitan province consists of the Archdiocese of Agaña and its suffragan Roman Catholic Dioceses of Chalan Kanoa and of Caroline Islands, and the Roman Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands.

Sex abuse scandal and bankruptcy

In 2016, for the first time in the history of the archdiocese, sexual allegations surfaced against its Ordinary (at the time Archbishop Anthony Apuron).[2] Consequently, on June 6, 2016, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, S.D.B., as apostolic administrator sede plena, i.e., in charge of the pastoral and administrative governance of the local Church.[3]

On October 31, 2016, after months of an Apostolic Administration, Pope Francis appointed Michael J. Byrnes of the Archdiocese of Detroit to become Coadjutor Archbishop of Agaña with special faculties. Those faculties included complete authority in all pastoral and administrative matters in the Archdiocese, both civilly and ecclesiastically.[4]

On March 16, 2018, Archbishop Apuron was removed from office by a Vatican tribunal after being convicted of undisclosed charges in a canonical penal trial.[5] Apuron appealed the decision, which suspended the verdict. However, the verdict of the First Instance canonical penal trial was upheld by the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on February 7, 2019.[6] A final ruling was then published by the CDF on April 4, 2019, which also upheld the conviction.[7] [8] [9] The final ruling made so Apuron could not only no longer serve as Bishop, but also could no longer wear the "insignia" associated with it, such as a bishop's ring, miter and staff, or dwell in property owned by the Archdiocese of Agana.

The penalties imposed by the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith included the privation of office; the perpetual prohibition from dwelling, even temporarily, in the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Agaña; and the perpetual prohibition from using the insignia attached to the rank of Bishop.[6]

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that this decision represented the definitive conclusion in the penal trial, and no further appeal is possible.[6]

On January 15, 2019 it was announced that the Archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to the financial burden created by the overwhelming amount of sex abuse lawsuits.[10] In August 2019, it was revealed that 223 people had filed lawsuits against 35 clergymen, teachers and Boy Scout leaders tied to the Catholic Church whom they accused of sexually abusing them while serving with the Archdiocese of Agaña.[11] Despite the bankruptcy filing, the archdiocese had only $45 million in liabilities and had until August 15, 2019, to successfully file a motion for a settlement with the sex abuse victims. Documents obtained by the Associated Press also revealed that claims of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Agaña dated as early as the 1950s and as recent as 2013.[12] [13] The archdiocese afterwards sold its Yona property for $6.1 million to help contribute to the pending settlement.[14] By the time of the August 15 deadline, which also accounted for sex abuse claims,[15] was reached, the number of people suing the Archdiocese for sex abuse had expanded to more than 240,[16] with blame also being directed at the Bishop's residence and office in Hagatna.[17] [18]

Both the Archdiocese and sex abuse survivors negotiated for a settlement between October 30 and 31 2019.[19] It was agreed that there would be direct mediation during the negotiations as well.[20] Guam served as the location for the negotiations as well. The Boy Scouts of America, the Capuchin Franciscans, and some of the people named as defendants in the lawsuits had already started making settlements with clergy sex abuse survivors since 2018. Shortly before the negotiations started, the number of sex abuse claims also expanded to nearly 280.[21] [22] However, the October 2019 negotiations, which were mediated by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Hawaii Robert J. Faris, were cut short after the survivors rejected the settlement offers and continued to pursue their lawsuits. On January 15, 2020, the Archdiocese of Agana submitted its reorganization plan, which also involved a new offer for a $21 million settlement.[23] However, it remained to be seen if the sex abuse survivors will approve of the new settlement offer.

On April 30, 2020, attorneys ended most court litigation after the Archdiocese of Agana filed proof of claim in court to help ensure the bankruptcy agreement, which also includes the potential sex abuse settlement, would go forward.[24] The same day, however, it was revealed in new court documents that a new lawsuit was filed against the Archdiocese of Agana by a former altar boy who claimed that Father Louis Brouillard abused him multiple times from around 1978 to 1979 on the grounds of the Barrigada church and during Boy Scouts of America outings at Lonfit River. On March 23, 2021, US Federal District Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood denied Apuron's motion to temporarily halt proceedings in Guam's clergy sex abuse cases.[25] In August 2021, court filings which were made public revealed the Apuron had testified in court to deny a former Father Duenas Memorial School student's allegations that Apuron raped and sexually abused him multiple times in the school year 1994-1995 at the then-archbishop's private residence in Agana Heights.[26]

Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 16, 2020, the Archdiocese of Agana suspended Sunday masses along with all parish events until April 18th of that year. During this time, masses were held virtually, with church-goers watching church broadcasts through radio stations and social media platforms, such as Facebook Live. [27]

Post-COVID developments

On March 29, 2023, Archbishop Michael J. Byrnes resigned due to a "life-changing illness", leaving Vicar General Father Romeo Convocar to lead the church in his absence.[28] On July 6th, 2024, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Ryan P. Jimenez as the new Archbishop of Agana.[29] His installation ceremony will be on August 15th, 2024.[30]

Ordinaries

No.NameFrom Until
1 August 25, 1911 January 1, 1913
2 Agustín José Bernaus y Serra, OFMCap May 9, 1913 September 14, 1913
3 Joaquín Felipe Oláiz y Zabalza, OFMCap July 20, 1914 January 1, 1933
4 León Angel Olano y Urteaga, OFMCapJuly 9, 1934 August 20, 1945
5 Apollinaris William Baumgartner, OFMCap October 14, 1945 December 18, 1970
6 Felixberto Camacho Flores, OFMCap April 21, 1971 October 25, 1985
7 Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFMCap May 11, 1986 March 16, 2018
8 April 4, 2019 March 28, 2023
9 July 6, 2024 Present

Serra was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Bluefields, Nicaragua in 1913.
Apuron was Auxiliary Bishop (1983-1986); appointed Archbishop here.
Byrnes was Coadjutor Archbishop (2016-2019).

Education

Schools operated by the archdiocese include:[31]

Schools previously operated by the archdiocese include:[32]

High schools:

Elementary and middle schools:

Elementary schools:

Parishes

The Archdiocese of Agaña consists of twenty-six parishes on the island of Guam:[33]

Northern Region
Central I Region
Central II Region
Southern Region

Demographics

YearPopulationPriestsDeaconsReligiousParishes
CatholicTotalPercentCatholicDiocesanReligiousTotalCatholicsper priestMaleFemale
19119,74012,24079.6%01010974013n/a6
195032,20932,70098.5%324271,19204412017
196660,04662,24096.5%1526411,46402620624
197080,872115,00070.3%2355781,03605721324
1976111,831141,87178.8%2628542,070183614831
1980120,659129,42893.2%1932512,365114314635
1990114,404126,16990.7%1927462,48752914326
1999122,962144,99784.8%2815432,85992012024
2000122,962144,86784.9%2710373,32391512024
2001150,563167,29290.0%3116473,20372212524
2002125,167154,80589.9%335383,29392112024
2003131,430154,62385.0%3215472,79682112024
2004131,584154,80585.0%3215472,799201612024
2006132,494155,68785.1%3012423,154201210324
2012157,000184,00085.3%389473,34017910024
Sources: 1911:[34] 1950–2012:[35]

See also

External links

13.4742°N 144.7522°W

Notes and References

  1. Book: Carano . Paul . Sanchez . Pedro C. . 1964 . A Complete History of Guam . Tokyo . Charles E. Tuttle Company . 414965.
  2. News: Pope names temporary administrator for Guam archdiocese. Pacific Daily News. 2016-11-05.
  3. Web site: Other Pontifical Acts. press.vatican.va. 2016-11-05.
  4. News: Pope appoints new coadjutor archbishop who could replace Apuron. Pacific Daily News. 2016-11-05.
  5. https://nypost.com/2018/03/16/vatican-convicts-archbishop-but-doesnt-say-of-what/ Vatican convicts archbishop, but doesn't say of what
  6. Web site: Comunicato della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede. press.vatican.va. Apr 16, 2020.
  7. Comunicato della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede, 04.04.2019 . it . April 4, 2019. Holy See Press Office . April 25, 2020 .
  8. News: New York Times . April 25, 2020 . April 4, 2019 . Reuters . Vatican Removes Guam Archbishop After Conviction of Sexual Abuse.
  9. News: Comunicato della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede. Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service. Crux. April 4, 2019. Apr 25, 2020.
  10. Web site: Guam archdiocese files for bankruptcy to pay off clergy sex abuse claims. Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. USA TODAY. 16 January 2019 . Apr 16, 2020.
  11. Web site: David Goldman . Guam clergy sex abuse victims tell their stories . Cruxnow.com . 2019-08-08 . 2020-04-16 . 2022-01-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220116223421/https://cruxnow.com/church-in-oceania/2019/08/08/guam-clergy-sex-abuse-victims-tell-their-stories . dead .
  12. Web site: Guam's ex-archbishop shielded culture of clergy sex abuse. Aug 9, 2019. AP NEWS. Apr 16, 2020.
  13. Web site: Michael Biesecker . Guam's Catholics reckon with decades of 'horrific' sex abuse . Cruxnow.com . 2019-08-08 . 2020-04-16 . 2022-01-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220118195639/https://cruxnow.com/church-in-oceania/2019/08/08/guams-catholics-reckon-with-decades-of-horrific-sex-abuse . dead .
  14. Web site: Archdiocese sells Yona property for $6.1M to help pay Guam clergy sex abuse survivors. Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. Pacific Daily News. 9 August 2019 . Apr 16, 2020.
  15. Web site: Lawsuit: Man regrets not exposing priest in late '70s to prevent other kids from sex abuse. Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. Pacific Daily News. 14 August 2019 . Apr 16, 2020.
  16. Web site: Deadline arrives for Guam's clergy sex abuse complaints filing: 240-plus claims. Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. Pacific Daily News. 14 August 2019 . Apr 16, 2020.
  17. Web site: Grace Garces Bordallo . Guam Catholic Church enters bankruptcy amid sex abuse claims . Cruxnow.com . 2019-01-16 . 2020-04-16.
  18. Web site: Vocal Church critic Tim Rohr talks clergy sex abuse. www.kuam.com. Apr 16, 2020.
  19. News: No payouts soon: Archdiocese, clergy sex abuse claimants unable to reach settlement. Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. Pacific Daily News. October 31, 2019. April 25, 2020.
  20. Web site: October mediation looms in church bankruptcy case to settle clergy sex abuse claims. Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. Pacific Daily News. August 7, 2019. Apr 16, 2020.
  21. News: Another try: Church settlement talks begin Wednesday in nearly 280 clergy sex abuse claims. Haidee Eugenio Gilbert, Pacific Daily News. Kitsap Sun. October 29, 2019. April 25, 2020.
  22. News: From a culture of silence to cover-ups: How Guam ended up with 280 clergy sex abuse claims. Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. Pacific Daily News. October 26, 2019. April 25, 2020.
  23. News: 'Greatest measure of justice': $21M for survivors, other claimants in Archdiocese plan. Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. Pacific Daily News. January 17, 2020. April 25, 2020.
  24. News: Document: Priest abused Barrigada altar boy in late 1970s. Guam Daily Postaa. 30 April 2020.
  25. News: Former archbishop's motion to halt clergy sex abuse cases denied. Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. Guam Daily Post. 23 March 2021. 5 May 2022.
  26. News: Attorney: Apuron prays sex abuse plaintiff takes nothingfirst=Haidee Eugenio. Gilbert. Guam Daily Post. 23 March 2021. 5 May 2022.
  27. Web site: Byrnes . Michael J. . March 16, 2020 . Pastoral Letter in Response To The Declaration of a Public Health State of Emergency Against The Spread of COVID-19 . July 19, 2024 . Archdiocese of Agana.
  28. Web site: Gilbert . Haidee . March 29, 2023 . GuamPDN . live . July 19, 2024 . Pacific Daily News.
  29. Web site: Gilbert . Hailee . July 6, 2024 . GuamPDN . July 19, 2024 . Pacific Daily News.
  30. News: Pope Francis appoints Bishop Ryan Jimenez as archbishop of Agaña, Guam . Marianas Variety.
  31. "Schools ." Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña. Retrieved on October 25, 2010.
  32. "Catholic Schools." Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña. March 4, 2001. Retrieved on October 25, 2010.
  33. Web site: Parishes in the Archdiocese of Agaña. Archdiocese of Agana Official Website. 25 September 2016.
  34. Book: The Catholic Encyclopedia: Index. encyclopedia Press, Incorporated. 1914-01-01. en.
  35. Web site: Agaña (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]]. www.catholic-hierarchy.org. 2016-01-29. David M.. Cheney.