A “serious allegation” of a priest’s “sexual misconduct” with a woman 11 years ago in Asan is under investigation, according to Archbishop Ryan Jimenez in a Nov. 12 letter to clergy.

The priest under investigation for an 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, according to Jimenez, who was installed as archbishop . from Guam in August of this year.

This comes as the Catholic Church in Guam is still in the process of paying nearly 300 clergy sexual abuse plaintiffs under a court-approved plan to bring the archdiocese out of bankruptcy. The allegations in these claims go back to the 1950s.

In his letter last week, the archbishop said he had recently received from the Office of Secure Environment a report on “a serious allegation of clergy misconduct of transgressing boundaries with an adult woman” by Caminiti.

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

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

The allegation, he said, is now under further investigation as recommended by the Independent Review Committee.

“As your archbishop, I take all allegations seriously. At the same time, I also recognize the human dignity of the accused,” Jimenez said. “In this process, as your shepherd, I am concerned for his welfare and the need to accompany him in this trying time as a father would.”

Caminiti was granted temporary precautionary measures and lived in the same temporary residence of the archbishop of Tumon, pending the priest’s acceptance into a “Centre for the Assisted Intensive Renewal Program for Priests”.

There was no word from the archdiocese as of Tuesday on the status of the investigation.

The archdiocese continues to provide free spiritual support and professional counseling to victims of clergy abuse through the Journey to Healing program for survivors.

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

In the past, before a wave of clergy sex abuse lawsuits, allegations of sex abuse, mainly against minors, went unchecked.

At the time, any investigation into allegations against the priests or the then-archbishop, Anthony Apuron, was to be decided by the archbishop himself. A Vatican tribunal convicted Apuron of molesting several minors, leading to his removal.

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

Haidee Eugenio Gilbert is editor-in-chief of the Pacific Daily News. You can contact her at [email protected].