A Guam archbishop accused of sexually abusing minors in the 1970s was found guilty and removed from office by a Vatican tribunal on Friday, the Holy See said.
Five judges from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith sacked Anthony Apuron, archbishop in the capital city of Agana, and told him he could no longer reside in the Archdiocese of Guam after their ruling, the Vatican said in a statement.
The tribunal found Anthony Apuron 'guilty of certain of the accusations', the statement said without giving details. It said Apuron had denied all the charges and had 60 days to appeal the ruling.
Apuron later confirmed he would appeal and said in a statement issued by his lawyers the tribunal had dismissed 'the majority of the accusations' against him.
'I am innocent and I look forward to proving my innocence in the appeals process,' he said.
The Vatican statement said the tribunal had imposed 'the penalties of privation of office and prohibition of residence in the Archdiocese of Guam'.
Those penalties will be suspended during Apuron's appeal, until the final ruling is issued.
Thousands of cases of sexual abuse of children by priests have come to light around the world in recent decades as investigations have encouraged long-silent victims to go public with their complaints.
Victim support groups have repeatedly criticised the Vatican's response, saying successive popes failed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
