“The trial has started,” said Archbishop Michael Byrnes, who was named in October as coadjutor for the Guam archdiocese.
Archbishop Byrnes, a former auxiliary bishop of Detroit, indicated that he was not informed about the details of the canonical trial, but he understood that the investigation of Archbishop Apuron was well advanced, and he was “pretty sure” that judges had been selected for the tribunal that would render a verdict in the case.
Archbishop Apuron has steadily denied the charges against him.
If he resigns or is permanently removed as a result of the canonical process, Archbishop Byrnes will succeed him.