Sect'cannotpossesstheseminary':PriestexplainsaboutNeocatechumenalWay

PacificDailyNewsHagatna,Guam
Subjects: Hotels&motelsLegalcounselCatholicchurchesTransferoftitle
Author:
GaynorDumatolDaleno
Date:
Aug3,2014
StartPage: n/a
Section:
LocalNews
DocumentText
AnattempttotransferthetitleofoneoftheGuamCatholicChurch'slargestrealestateassets,theformerAccionHotel
inYona,hasbecomeafocalpointinrecentdiscussionsaboutthelocalchurch'sfinancialtransparencyandleadership
shakeup.
ThecontroversystartedweeksagowhenananonymousgroupofGuamCatholicsissuedapublicchallengefor
ArchbishopAnthonyApurontoreleaseauditedstatementsoftheChurch'sincome,liabilitiesandassets,particularlythe
stateofownershipoftheformerAccionHotel.
The100room,oceansidehotelwasboughtmorethanadecadeagofor$2million,andcouldbeworth$35millionto
$75milliondependingonestimates.ItnowisbeingusedtohosttheRedemptorisMaterSeminaryandatheological
institute.
MonsignorJamesBenavente,whowasrecentlyfiredfrombeingtherectoroftheDulceNombredeMariaCathedral
Basilica,wasoneofseveraldirectorsontheArchdiocesanFinanceCouncilwhowerefiredin2012aftertheyvoted
againsttheproposedtransferoftitletotheproperty,documentsstate.ArchbishopAnthonyApuronhadwrittenaletter
tothecounciladvocatingthetitlechange,documentsstate.
BusinessmanRichardUntalan,SisterMaryStephenTorresandformergovernmentofGuambudgetofficialJoeRivera
werethefinancecouncilofficialswhowerefired.
Thefinancecouncilmembersvotedagainstthetitletransferafteralegalcounselforthearchdioceseatthetime
cautionedthatsuchaction"wouldplaceahugecloudonthetitle."
"Doyoureallywanttorisktitletothepropertyconservativelyvaluedat$75million,"thelegalcounselwrotetothe
financecouncilmembersatthetime.
ANovember2011jointletterfromthefiredfinancecouncilmembersmakesreferencetothelegalcounsel'sconcernsin
expressingtothearchbishoptheirsentiment.
Hadthetransferoftitleoccurred,thepropertywouldbeinthenameoftheseminary,whichisbeingrunby
representativesoftheNeocatechumenalWay.
ApuroncriticandJungleWatchbloggerTimRohrrecentlystatedthattheNeocatechumenalWay"pulled(the
archbishop's)stringsfornearlytwodecades."
CharlesWhite,aGuamresidentwhoalsowritesablog,calledtheThoughtfulCatholic,saidtherecentcontroversiesin
thelocalCatholicChurchcanbelinkedtotheNeocatechumenalWay.
"Thereisabiggerissueatplayhere:TheimpositionoftheNeocatechumenalWayupontheCatholicChurchinGuam,"
Whitesaid.
FatherPiusSammut,oftheNeocatechumenalWay,inaresponsetoquestionsfromthePacificDailyNews,saideven
withatitletransfer,thearchbishopwouldstillhaveallthepowerovertheproperty.
TothosewhosaytheNeocatechumenalWaycontrolsthearchbishop,Piussaid:"thesecommentsdemeanthe
archbishopasifhedoesnothaveamindofhisown."
QUESTIONS&ANSWERS
HereareexcerptsoftheanswersfromFatherPiusSammut.
Question:WhatisyourresponsetothosewhosaythattheNeocatechumenalWaycontrols/hasamajorinfluenceon
ArchbishopAnthonyApuron?
Answer:Sincerely,Ibelievethatthesecommentsdemeanthearchbishopasifhedoesnothaveamindofhisown.I

amconfidentthatthearchbishoptakeshisowndecisionsandhedoesitafterlongmomentsofprayerandconsultation
withhisvariousorganizations....Ithinkthathedidnotselltheseminarybuilding,notduetoanyexternalinfluence,but
duetothesimplefactthataseminaryandatheologicalinstituteareanimmensespiritualwealthfortheArchdiocese
andCanonLaw(theLawoftheChurch)enjoinsallbishopstoopenaseminarytoformpriests...
Q:TherearesomepeopleintheGuamCatholiccommunitywhobelievethatthere'sariftbetweenthosewhoareand
aren'tpartoftheNeocatechumenalWay,andexamplesofthisdivideincludetherecentremovalofMonsignorJames
BenaventeandFatherPaulGofigan.Whatareyourthoughtsonthis?
A:TheremovalofFatherGofiganandMonsignorBenaventehavenothingtodowiththeNeocatechumenalWay.Inthe
firstcasethemotivation,asfarasIknow,wasthathewasharboringaconvictedsexoffender.FatherGofigan,I
believe,madeanappealtoRomeandwehavetowaitfortheirdecision.
InthecaseofMonsignorBenavente,Ibelieve,itwasamatterofputtinginorderasituationofimproperaccountingas
therecentdocumentsreleasedbythearchdioceseshow.
ToattributethesedecisionstotheNeocatechumenalWayseemstomethatitisanefforttotrytofindascapegoatand
notdealwiththerealityoftheproblemstosecondguessthedecisionsofthearchbishopisnotthewaytoanswerto
theseproblems,whichseemseriousandinneedofananswer,especiallybytheauthoritywhohastheresponsibilityof
thearchdiocese.
Goingbacktothe"rift,"weneedtokeepinmindthatmanyofthepeopleinthecommunitiesarepeoplewhowerenot
goingtochurch,orwhowereincrisisandyouth:thesepeoplearecomingbacktothechurch.IliketheimageofPope
Franciswherehecomparesthechurchtoafieldhospital:Inahospitaltherearemanyunits,buttheremustbeaward
alsoforthosewhoareveryseriouslywoundedorneedanemergencyroom.
Ifyoudonotmindmesayingthis,recentdiscussionsregardingtheNeocatechumenalWaysmellsofracism,
xenophobiaandhatredofnonislandersasiftheyshouldnotbehere:curiouslyenough,thosemostvocalinthis
"debate"arepeoplenotbornintheisland.CatholicmeansuniversalandIbelievethatthispettyparochialismisnotthe
spiritofGuamanianCatholics.
Q:DidtheNeocatechumenalWayattempttoinfluencethetransferoftitletotheformerAccionHotelpropertyinYona
fromtheArchdioceseofGuamtoanentitywhoseofficersaremembersoftheNeocatechumenalWay?
A:Actuallyitistheotherwayaround.ThepurchaseoftheAccionHotelwasproposedbytheNeocatechumenalWayto
thearchbishop,becauseinordertostarttheseminaryandaninstitute,therewasaneedforroomsfor30to40
seminarians,10facultyprofessors,fourclassrooms,alibraryfor20,000volumes,achapel.Themoneyforthe
purchaseofthehotelwasdonatedtothearchdiocesebyanoffislandbenefactorwhooffereditwiththeexplicit
intentionoferectingtheseminaryandthetheologicalinstitute.Thepreviousownerofthehotelsolditforjust$1.9
millionwiththeprovisothatthebuildingbeusedasaneducationalfacility.Actually,thearchdiocesedidnotputdowna
penny.
Regardingthetransferofthetitle,thelegaladviserofthearchdiocese,fiveyearsago,askedthatthetitlebetransferred
totheRedemptorisMaterCorp.torespecttheintentionofthedonorandtosafeguardtheproperty.Thiscorporationisa
'corporationsole'wherethereisonlyonemember,namelythearchbishop,whohasallpower.Heisassistedbya
boardofdirectorswho(oversees)thedailyadministration.Theonlymember,namelythearchbishop,choosesall
directors.Thenthereisaboardofguarantorsthatguaranteesthatthecorporationfollowstheoriginalpurposeforwhich
itwascreated.TheArchbishopchooses,confirms,ordismissesfreelytheseguarantors.
SotheNeocatechumenalWaydoesnotandcannotbyreasonofitsstatutespossesstheseminarybutsimply
ensurestheformation....ThewholediscussiononthepropertyoftheAccionHotelbegantwotothreeyearsago
becausecertainindividualswantedtosellthebuildingtopaytheirdebts.Actuallythearchdioceseisonlysupporting3
or4percentoftheseminary'sbudget,whiletherestissupportedbyCatholicsfromallovertheworldincludingdifferent
foundationsandPropagandaFide.
Q:Tothelaypeople'sunderstanding,whatistheNeocatechumenalWay,andhowdoesitspracticesdifferfrom
CatholictraditionsonGuam?
A:TheNeocatechumenalWayhasbeenrecognizedbyPopePaulVI,SaintJohnPaulII,BenedictXVIandPope
Francisasa"giftoftheHolySpirit"fortheChurch.SaintJohnPauldefinedtheNeocatechumenalWayasan"itinerary
ofCatholicformationvalidforourtimesandoursociety."TheNeocatechumenalWayisaninstrumenttoreachout
especiallytothepeoplewhohaveleftthechurchandtheyouth.
TheHolySeehasallowedafewconcessionsintheliturgicalcelebrationstohelpespeciallythosewhoarereturningto
religiouspracticeafteryearsofbeingawaysothattheycanparticipatemoreactivelytothesacraments.
Q:WhatmessagewouldyouliketosendtoGuamasacommunityofdiversefaiths?

A:Ithinkthatthiscampaignofdisinformationisdetrimentaltoeverybody.Hatespeechisalwaysbadanddoesnot
help.ThefactthatinGuamhasarisenaseminary,whichishelpingtheformationofpriestsforGuamandfortheentire
Pacific,isasignoftheimportanceofthisislandintheplanofGod.
FatherManuelSolorzano,aJesuitpriestwhowaskilledin1684inHagatnawhilepreachingtheGospel,wrotetohis
fatherwhotriedtoconvincehimtoabandonthemission,"cielosonlasariana,"or"paradisearetheMarianas."Bythis
hemeantthatgivinghislifetoannouncetheGospelandbeingkilledforit,washisparadise.
Weallneedtogobacktothisspirituality:tosaveonesoulisworthmylife.Weshouldhelpeachotherinthisbecause
ouryouthandthefamiliesareallsufferingtoday.
ATAGLANCE
AbouttheNeocatechumenalWay:
*BeganinSpainintheearly1960sbyKikoArguelloandCarmenHernandez,andwasendorsedbythethen
ArchbishopofMadrid,CasimiroMorcillo.
*Offersawayofrediscoveringthesacramentofbaptismandcontinuingeducationinfaithalsoaninstrumentof
Christianinitiationforadultspreparingtoreceivebaptism.
*In2008,theCatholicChurchapprovedstatutesthatdefinethenatureoftheNeocatechumenalWayandits
implementation.
*TheInternationalResponsibleTeamoftheWayischargedwithimplementingwhatisoutlinedinthestatutes.The
teamhasthreepeople,includingArguelloandHernandez.
Vatican.vaandNeocatechumenalWaystatutes
ID_Code:M0308030001
Reproducedwithpermissionofthecopyrightowner.Furtherreproductionordistributionisprohibitedwithoutpermission.

Abstract(DocumentSummary)
AnattempttotransferthetitleofoneoftheGuamCatholicChurch'slargestrealestateassets,theformerAccionHotel
inYona,hasbecomeafocalpointinrecentdiscussionsaboutthelocalchurch'sfinancialtransparencyandleadership
shakeup.
Reproducedwithpermissionofthecopyrightowner.Furtherreproductionordistributionisprohibitedwithoutpermission.