The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, meeting for their fall general assembly this past week in Baltimore heard a plea from Guam Archbishop-Coadjutor Michael J. Byrnes.
He contributed to a discussion of implementation of effective policies to deal with “Abusive Bishops.”
Byrnes said that pending final Vatican resolution of the charges against Apuron, his effective disappearance from the public stage is frustrating to Guam’s faithful.
“One of those goals [being discussed] was meaningful constraints on an accused bishop,” Byrnes told the group. “I just want to offer my experience of the last two years where there have been no meaningful restraints on the Archbishop [Anthony Apuron]. I am still the coadjutor pending appeal. I think what I’ve experienced over these last two years, it’s been grating on the people of God on Guam. I keep getting asked, ‘Where is the Archbishop?’ And I have to say, ‘I have no idea.’ There’s no contact. He’s not been assigned to a certain place. He’s been, pending appeal, restricted from returning to Guam. It’ been an experience—we’re a small place and sometimes seem to be a little neglected—but I think it’s the kind of thing that would be meaningful to the lay faithful if there were meaningful constraints during the time of investigation and I guess after he’s been found guilty.”
Previous sighting: Archbishop
Apuron supplied this video in
October, 2017.
