3 Bishops, Several Priests and Catholic Church Lay Officials Named in Archdiocese Sex Scandal Disclosure

[Author’s disclosure: I am one of the victims and claimants in this case.]

All three of the Mariana Islands’ only Chamorro bishops, and several priests were named by clergy sex abuse victims of the Archdiocese of Agana in a long list that also includes several Catholic Church lay officials who allegedly raped and molested boys and girls. The archdiocese and the nearly 300 victims settled the federal court case and an ensuing bankruptcy in 2023, with the current and previous archbishop along with the bishop-elect of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa apologizing to the people of the Marianas for the archdiocese’s coverup of the crimes.

According to a series of disclosures the archdiocese made today in the U.S. District Court of Guam, the victims were from both Guam and Saipan.

The disclosures, which are to be posted to the archdiocese’s website by court order, were not volunteered by the archdiocese. About a decade since the first victims filed claims against the archdiocese and almost 80 years since the documented rapes and molestations began, the archdiocese has finally disclosed two sets of lists. The first lists the names of the 44 men and 3 women accused by various named and unnamed survivors and victims of clergy and Catholic lay rape and molestation.

The second disclosure, penned by Archdiocese of Agana Vicar General and Diocese of Chalan Kanoa Bishop-elect Romeo Convocar, separately lists the names of one former archbishop and three former priests. These four men, according to the bishop-elect, had been found by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith guilty of sexual abuse, “or had been dismissed or granted dispensation from the clerical state,” by Rome.

The four include Anthony Sablan Apuron, the former archbishop, who had been found guilty by the Dicastery of “delicts against the Sixth Commandment with minors.”

The Sixth Commandment, according to Christian doctrine, is “Thou shall not commit adultery.”

Three men were removed from the priesthood following their respective canonical penal trials: Raymond Cepeda, Adrian Cristobal, and Jose R. San Agustin. Among the three, only Mr. Cristobal is believed to be alive.

“The Archdiocese of Agaña recognizes that Louis Brouillard, a priest formerly operating in the Diocese of Guam, admitted in his past of his sexual transgressions involving children from Guam and Saipan. He died before the Court settlement of his Case 1:17-cv-00047 Document 1 Filed 04/19/17 and before commencing any canonical penal trial,” Bishop-elect Convocar wrote in his letter to Archbishop of Agana Ryan Jimenez in the disclosure.

While the Archdiocese of Agana has made overtures of sorrow and regret for the actions of its former bishops and priests, the bishop-elect placed a caveat into the second disclosure:

“I would like also to state here, Your Excellency, that the archdiocese has undertaken a review of the allegations made against all living individuals named in the Complaints for Damages in accordance with the processes set forth under Canon Law, and in conformance with civil law and the requirements for the safeguarding of the vulnerable. Several clerics who are members of religious orders and otherwise connected to Guam were also investigated by their Orders.

“Your Excellency, while the publication of names in our website is part of the Non-Monetary Commitments included ni the Final Decree of the settlement, from the canonical point of view, we are unable to establish with moral certainty whether those crimes were truly committed since most of those accused have long been deceased. Canonical penal procedure requires the right of defense of those who are accused. Hence, criminal action is extinguished by prescription, death of the accused or when the cleric has already been dismissed or granted dispensation from clerical state.”

 

List of 44 Men and 3 Women

The first and longer disclosure lists the names of rape and molestation civil defendants accused by the nearly 300 victims. The late priest Brouillard was accused by at least 148 men of raping and molesting them as boys. Some of the victims have claimed that when they mustered the courage to report the clerical abuse, they were shunned and punished by the archdiocese and their own families.

Mr. Apuron’s name is listed 11 times, with 3 of his alleged victims suing in local court.

The late Guam Archbishop Felixberto Flores is listed once.

So is the late Bishop Tomas Camacho of Saipan.

You may read the names in the lists below, along with a message from Archbishop Jimenez.

0230_001 Civil Disclosure RWT 1

Ecclesial Disclosure Statment re Decisions by DDF.Final Signed

Archbishops Letter Accompanying Disclosures Statement.Signed-1