Accusations of sexual abuse have been made against another Bishop in the Mariana Islands.
Complaints have been filed against Bishop Emeritus Tomas Camacho, of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa on Saipan in the Northern Marianas
The present Bishop of Chalan Kanoa, Ryan Jimenez says that the church will give its full cooperation with civil authorities in any investigation.
He said no further comment will be made as the matter is in litigation. He asked for prayers “for everyone affected by this news…”
The complaint has been filed in the District Court of Guam on behalf of Guam resident, Melvin Duenas.
It is alleged that Camacho, who was the priest of the Inarajan Parish in the 1970s, sexually molested and raped Duenas on an almost nightly basis over a three-year period.
Camacho was born in Chalan Kanoa and ordained as the second local Catholic priest there in June 1961. He worked in Guam for a number of years
He was then assigned to Saipan as an Episcopal vicar and in 1984. He was appointed the first bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Chalan Kanoa by Pope John Paul II,
He retired in 2010.
In a statement released by the Archdiocese of Agaña, Guam church officials acknowledged the recent claims of abuse that named the former Saipan bishop.
They offered similar sentiments and prayers for the family of the latest victim to come forward.
In total, the Archdiocese of Agana faces $85 million in potential payouts to victims of alleged abuse.
The diocese of Chalan Kanoa comprises the territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and is a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agaña.
The Mariana Islands are composed of two administrative units: Guam, a US territory. the Northern Mariana Islands (including the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota), which make up a Commonwealth of the United States
Source
- postguam.com
- Image: static.panoramio.com
