The Catholic Church in Guam has established a $1 million settlement fund for victims of child abuse.
The funds will become available as soon as the archdiocese has put an administrator, supported by an independent third party, in place, Archbishop Michael Byrnes announced during a news conference with his finance council on 8 March.
As soon as these are in place, victims can contact the administrator directly, said Byrnes.
To date, 24 victims have filed a lawsuit for clergy child sexual abuse against the archdiocese of Agana in Guam.
Byrnes said the archdiocese has taken steps to revamp its sexual abuse policy.
Archdiocesan Finance Council President Richard Untalan said the procedures for the settlement fund are being worked out and that legal issues have not been resolved.
The archdiocese will have no influence with how claims are processed or determined, Untalan explained. The credibility of the claim and amount will be determined by the administrator, and the amount given to the victim may vary.
The settlement account is funded through liquidation of church investments such as stocks, he said. The account will generate its own cash and income and the church will add to it.
In February, the Vatican sent Cardinal Raymond Burke to Guam to act as presiding judge at the trial of Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who was removed from office in June 2016 following allegations of child sex abuse.
Most of the allegations – which Archbishop Apuron has denied - involve sexual abuse of altar boys in the 1970s.
Cardinal Raymond Burke, who is a canon lawyer and former prefect of the Holy See’s highest court, spent two days in on the island interviewing witnesses and alleged victims.
The Archdiocese of Agana said it had completed child protection training at all Catholic schools on the island and the Task Force for the Protection of Minors had begun training staff and volunteers at the parish level.
During a news conference on 10 February, Archbishop Byrnes announced that the archdiocese voluntarily adopted the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The charter calls for mandatory training of all adults entrusted with the care of children as well as mandatory audits.
PICTURE: Archbishop Michael Byrnes
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