Archbishop Ryan P. Jimenez of Guam carried messages from the Pacific IslandsƵfrom climate change and emigration to the Neocatechumenal Way and lack of theology professorsƵin his first private audience with Pope Leo at the Vatican on July 3.
Jimenez was recently in Rome to join 53 other archbishops from around the world to receive the pallium from the first American pope.
A pallium is a 3-inch wide ancient liturgical band made of wool that archbishops wear that stresses their connection with the pope.
Jimenez, originally from the Philippines and appointed in 2024 as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Agana on Guam, is also the head of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific, CEPAC. By area, CEPAC is the largest episcopal conference in the world.
ƵI did relay a message personally sent to me by a colleague in Tuvalu, who said, ƵPlease tell the Holy Father that we are sinking in TuvaluƵ. With the effects of climate change, the rising sea levels, people are forced to leave their homes and move to another place,Ƶ Jimenez told the Pacific Daily News.
The people of Tuvalu, for example, migrate to Australia, he said.
Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Kiribati, all under the jurisdictions of CEPAC, are three of the five considered vulnerable islands in the Pacific due to the effects of climate change.
ƵWe need to do something collectively, not just for these three islands, but for the entire Pacific,Ƶ Jimenez said.
The archbishop said Pope Leo asked if the late Pope Francis visited any diocese under CEPAC.
ƵI said ƵnoƵ and the closest was Pope FrancisƵ visit in Papua New Guinea in August 2024,Ƶ he said.
In 1981, Pope John Paul II, who later became a saint, visited Guam.
ƵE泦ٱƵ
Jimenez said on July 2, while in Rome, he got a call from the Nunciature in New Zealand, informing him that he had a scheduled private audience with Pope Leo the following day.
He received the call while he was having breakfast with Father Paul Gofigan, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Agana, at the Casa Santa Marta, the former residence of the late Pope Francis, who appointed Jimenez as archbishop in July 2024.
ƵI was excited because this was my first one-on-one meeting with the Holy Father,Ƶ said Jimenez, who was the bishop of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa on Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, when he got the 2024 appointment to become archbishop for Guam.
With Pope Benedict XVI in 2011 and Pope Francis, JimenezƵs meetings were done as a group with bishops in the Pacific, with new bishops in 2016, and short greetings after liturgical celebrations, general audience, and during the Synod of Bishops on Oct. 25, 2024, where he was a voting delegate representing CEPAC.
His meeting with Pope Leo on July 3 lasted about 25 minutes, Jimenez said.
Challenges with Neocatechumenal Way
Jimenez and Pope Leo first talked about the Archdiocese of Agana.
The archbishop said the pope is aware of the archdioceseƵs challenges as a church on Guam.
ƵWe discussed about the Neocatechumenal Way, especially as a bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, where he was also appointed as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Callao in Peru where there were challenges with the Neocatechumenal Way,Ƶ Jimenez said.
The Neocatechumenal Way, an organization within the Catholic Church, came to Guam in 1996 and the archbishop at the time, Anthony S. Apuron, became one of its members.
Apuron was convicted by a Vatican tribunal for sexual abuse of multiple minors, and was stripped of his title and position and was banned from coming back to the archdiocese.
The grassroots Concerned Catholics of Guam, which helped expose victims of Guam clergy sex abuses including those perpetrated by Apuron, and other questionable activities under ApuronƵs leadership, said the Neocatechumenal WayƵs beliefs and practices conflict with GuamƵs Catholic faithful.
In 2016, the archbishop who was sent by the Vatican to temporarily lead the Catholic Church on Guam said Apuron defied the popeƵs desire, since 2015, to lift an unusual deed restriction involving a seminary and theological institute run by the Neocatechumenal Way.
The archdiocese took the property back and later sold it to help settle nearly 300 clergy sex abuse claims, including those filed by ApuronƵs victims.
ƵThe Holy Father emphasized the importance of unity, and that, as a church, we share many charisms, and not just one charism,Ƶ Jimenez said. ƵThe liturgy should also be a place of unity for all Catholics.Ƶ
Lack of theology professors in Pacific
Jimenez said a specific concern discussed is the state of the regional seminary for CEPAC, the Pacific Regional Seminary, PRS.
ƵPRS is challenged with lack of professors in theology and material resources,Ƶ the archbishop said. ƵThe Holy Father encourages us to reach out to Urbania University and work with Propaganda Fide in sending seminarians and priests to Rome so that they can work and help form priests at the PRS once they get their degrees.Ƶ
Jimenez said Pope Leo emphasized the importance of doing missionary work.
ƵHowever, what is equally important is the formation of seminarians to the priesthood and ongoing formation of priests in order to sustain them in their missionary work,Ƶ he added.
ƵNext visit to RomeƵ
On a lighter note, Jimenez said he mentioned to Pope Leo that on his next visit to Rome, heƵd like to play tennis with him.
ƵHe smiled and said, Ƶyou are probably a better player than me. Since I became pope, IƵve only played twiceƵ. Then he shared with me about the tennis court in the Vatican,Ƶ Jimenez said.
The two spoke briefly about the importance of sports and exercise, the archbishop said.
Jimenez said he also asked Pope Leo to bless a bag of rosaries which Deacon Len Stohr asked him to bring to the pope to bless.
ƵI asked permission if I could record a video of him blessing these rosaries so that I could share with Deacon Len and the deacon candidates,Ƶ he said.
Pope Leo, he said, is also aware of the Plenary Assembly of Bishops of CEPAC in August in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
ƵHe said that he will send a message for this gathering to encourage and support the bishops and the people in the region,Ƶ Jimenez added.