Archbishop Ryan Jimenez in a letter to the clergy said it "remains to be a fact" that former Archbishop Anthony Apuron was found guilty of abusing minors.
On Wednesday, former Archbishop Anthony Apuron maintained his innocence following plaintiffs stipulating to dismiss claims of sexual abuse and defamation in the District Court of Guam.
However on Friday, The Guam Daily Post obtained a letter written by current Archbishop Ryan Jimenez sent to members of the clergy, in which Jimenez comments on the stipulations of dismissal.
"I have asked our legal counsel to explain what those dismissals mean, and our counsel has confirmed that a dismissal under (federal law) does not operate as an adjudication about the merits of a particular case, but is a mechanism that allows the parties to a particular civil case to mutually agree to end that legal matter," Jimenez wrote.
Apuron, in a video message issued after the stipulations were filed, also spoke "freely" about the canonical process that did not result in his removal from the clergy, which, he further stated, "indicates his innocence." Apuron also expressed a desire to return to Guam.
Jimenez stated in his letter that it remains fact that on Feb. 7, 2019, Apuron was found guilty of committing abuse against minors.
"That determination was made following a canonical investigation and penal trial conducted by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith in Rome. The determination led to the former bishop losing his rank and duties as the leader of the Catholic Church on Guam, as well as perpetual prohibition preventing him from returning to Guam or presenting himself with the insignia attached to the rank of bishop," Jimenez wrote.
"Nothing about that determination has changed," Jimenez added.
Jimenez concluded his letter to members of clergy by discussing still meeting obligations of the archdiocese's bankruptcy reorganization plan and his pledge to protect the community's most vulnerable.
"It cannot be overstated or undermined, the vigilance we all must have to protect our most vulnerable. I remain committed to carrying out the pledge expressed in my letter of Dec. 6, 2024, to all our brothers and sisters 'to walk in fidelity with the survivors and all concerned to the end when we see God face to face and our tears are no more," Jimenez wrote.
The archdiocese's spokesperson Tony Diaz confirmed with the Post that the letter is authentic and "it constitutes the Archdiocese's extent of commenting on the issue at this time."