In the letter Archbishop Ryan Jimenez wrote to the clergy on November 12, it was stated that a “serious allegation” regarding the “sexual harassment” of a priest against a woman in Asan 11 years ago was being investigated.

According to Archbishop-appointed Jimenez, the priest under investigation for alleged “border violation” is Father Antonino Caminiti, also known as “Father Nino,” who was recently appointed parochial vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Yigo. Guam in August this year.

This comes at a time when the Catholic Church on Guam is still in the process of paying compensation for alleged sexual assault by nearly 300 clergy under a court-approved plan to save the archdiocese from bankruptcy. The allegations in these claims date back to the 1950s.

In his letter last week, the archbishop said he had recently received a report from the Office of the Safe Environment regarding “a serious allegation of clergy boundary violation against an adult female” by Caminiti.

Jimenez said the incident allegedly occurred 11 years ago at the Nine Perdido Y Sagrada Familia Church in Asan, where Caminiti was the church’s pastor.

The archbishop said the necessary procedures have been initiated, starting with the conduct of a preliminary investigation.

He said the allegation was currently under further investigation on the advice of the Independent Review Board.

“As your archbishop, I take all allegations seriously. I also recognize the human dignity of the defendant,” Jimenez said. he said. “In this process, as your shepherd, I am concerned about his health and the need to accompany him like a father in this difficult moment.”

Caminiti was granted temporary injunctions and resided in the same temporary residence of the archbishop in Tumon pending the priest’s admission to the “Assisted Intensive Renewal Program Center for Priests.”

As of Tuesday, there was no comment from the archdiocese on the status of the investigation.

The archdiocese continues to offer spiritual support and free professional counseling to victims of clergy abuse through its Journey to Healing for Survivors program.

For more information about the program, visit: aganaarch.org/survivors-journey-to-healing.

In the past, before the large number of sexual abuse cases against clergy, allegations of sexual abuse against minors often went unchecked.

At that time, any investigation into allegations against priests or then-archbishop Anthony Apuron would be decided by the archbishop himself. The Vatican court found Apuron guilty of abusing multiple minors, which led to his dismissal.

The archdiocese has since revised its policies, and the decision on whether to continue the investigation rests with the Independent Review Board.

Haidee Eugenio Gilbert is managing editor of Pacific Daily News. You can reach him at [email protected].