T (671) 488-0613

PGOFIGAN@GMAIL.COM

FROM THE DESK OF

FR. PAUL A.M. GOFIGAN

RE: STATEMENT REGARDING REQUEST

FROM ARCHBISHOP APURON FOR RETRACTION AND APOLOGY
Tamuning, Guam - January 14, 2014 - At the recent retreat for the clergy of the Archdiocese of Agana this
past November, Archbishop Apuron made statements
about me and Mr. Joseph Lastimoza that I consider
slanderous and defamatory to both to me and Mr. Lastimoza.
On December 6, 2013, I sent a letter to Archbishop
Apuron requesting he retract those statements and
apologize. He ignored my request.
On Monday, January 13, 2014, I sent another letter to
the Archbishop, noting that it had been over a month
since my request, that he had not responded in any
way, and that I would give him till noon, Tuesday,
January 14, to comply with my request for a retraction
and an apology in writing, and that a copy be sent to
every member of the clergy.
Noon, Tuesday, came and went without a response
from the Archbishop.
It is certainly a sad day for Guam and our beloved
Church that her archbishop will slander and malign his
ST. ANTHONY & ST VICTOR CATHOLIC CHURCH
TAMUNING, GUAM

FROM THE DESK OF

FR. PAUL A.M. GOFIGAN

priest behind his back and then refuse to retract or

apologize when confronted with this fact. He not only
damaged my name but the name of the Lastimoza family.
Pope Francis has asked us to reach out to the poor, neglected, and the downtrodden. He wants our bishops to
stop being airport bishops, and to reach out to his
priests and flock. He wants his priests to passionately
spread the Good News, and to reach out to our parishioners especially those who are hurting, lost, and
pushed away. That is what I have tried to do and that is
what I am being punished for.
I am now looking at all options including retaining an
attorney to file a defamation suit. I am not happy that it
has come to this but the archbishops actions and his
failure to retract (not even the courtesy of a reply)
leaves me no choice but to take this route in order to
restore my name.

For more information, please contact me at 488-0613.

Fr. Paul A.M. Gofigan

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