New archbishop begins Guam ministry amid Apuron's Vatican trial
HAGATNA, Guam — Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes officially stepped in Wednesday as head of Guam’s large Catholic Church, during a historic celebration marking the start of his episcopal ministry.
“I belong to you today. I’m one of yours,” Byrnes, 58, said, to the applause of the hundreds gathered inside the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña on Wednesday morning.
Several other archbishops and bishops joined the celebration which was rich in symbolism — from Byrnes knocking on the door of the church building that will be his home, to Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai seated next to a pew covered in blue, symbolizing the Vatican’s solidarity with all victims of child sex abuse on Guam and around the world.
3 more child sex abuse lawsuits filed against Guam priests
Byrnes, who will succeed Archbishop Anthony Apuron if he resigns, retires or is removed, comes to Guam as the church and clergy face lawsuits alleging sexual abuse. The local church also has been divided over the Neocatechumenal Way, a Catholic lay organization that controlled a seminary in Yona, and whose practices are at odds with the majority of Guam's Catholics. Some 85 percent of the island’s population is Catholic.
Ten lawsuits have so far been filed against the Archdiocese of Agana and its priests — including Apuron — who were accused of sexually abusing altar boys and Boy Scouts decades ago. Apuron was placed on leave June 6 after being accused by several former altar boys from the village of Agat, and his canonical trial at the Vatican is under way.
The lawsuits became possible after Gov. Eddie Calvo signed a law on Sept. 23 that lifted the statute of limitations on civil cases against those accused of sexually abusing children. The governor, senators and other government officials attended the prayers for the start of Byrnes' ministry.
Pain, healing
About an hour before Wednesday’s liturgical celebration, Byrnes held a press conference in which he addressed the issues of pain and healing of the church.
“As a church here in Guam, there’s a lot of pain, a lot of different kinds of pain,” he said. “Betrayal of trust causes pain, and we experienced, from the news, honestly, of the sex abuse of minors, the accusations, the allegations. The victims themselves are suffering tremendous pain, shame, guilt, but that pain radiates through our diocese.”
“I know I’ve got a lot to learn over these next weeks, days, months and years and I know that there’s a lot of hope, just having a new face, a new person, lifts a little bit some of the pain and some of the sadness,” he said.
Byrnes said healing “starts in the hearts of each one of us,” and in the ability to see past the pain, past the betrayal and past the suspicions.
“I’m not the one here to heal the pain. It’s not why I came, and I can’t do it, but I know the one who can, that’s Jesus,” he said. He said earlier that he believes the Vatican sent him to Guam to become a unifying bridge.
He also talked about three key phrases, not only to build a healthy family, but also to heal the church and create a healthy church: “Please. Sorry. Thank you.”
Hilda Tomokane, 70, said she looks at the events Wednesday as God’s gift to the people of Guam.
“Healing will take place. We’re all one. There’s no reason we all can’t come together,” she said.
New beginning
Several hours after the prayer, Byrnes officiated his first Mass at the basilica to mark the beginning of the Novena honoring Santa Marian Kamalen, the patron saint of Guam.
Visiting Bishop Ryan Jimenez, of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa on Saipan, was among one of the six bishops and archbishops on Guam at the same time to join Byrnes in Wednesday's celebrations. He was appointed bishop by Pope Francis on June 18.
“To be here today to give our support to Archbishop Byrnes and to the people of Guam and this morning’s celebration of praying together, that’s a good gesture of being one as a church. We’re all one church,” he said. “It’s good for our region, good for our bishops’ conference, good for our people. We need to support each other.”
During Wednesday’s press conference, Byrnes said he does not intend to reassign priests. Among his first order of business is to meet individually with as many priests as possible in the next couple weeks, he said.
He said he also will work with victim support groups to be able to reach out to victims of clergy abuse.
On Friday, he plans to meet with people at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Yona. The RMS, along with a theological institute, used to be controlled by the Neocatechumenal Way, but Byrnes recently signed several documents that remove the seminary's right to use the property and delink the seminary from the teachings of the Neocatechumenal Way.