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U.S. NEWS Thursday 5 december 2019

Buffalo bishop resigns under fire for handling of misconduct

By NICOLE WINFIELD heart just goes out you.
Associated Press And what I see is a need for
NEW YORK (AP) — Bishop a tremendous amount of
Richard Malone of Buf- healing ... honest conversa-
falo resigned Wednesday, tion, openness."
forced to step aside amid As the new apostolic ad-
mounting calls for his ouster ministrator for Buffalo,
from his staff, priests and Scharfenberger plans to
public over his handling of visit the eight-county dio-
allegations of clergy sexual cese weekly while keeping
misconduct. up with his duties in Albany.
The Vatican said Pope The diocese has been
Francis accepted the res- named in more than 220
ignation and appointed recent lawsuits by people
Edward Scharfenberger, who allege they were sexu-
the bishop of Albany, New ally abused by priests.
York, to run the Buffalo Dio- Many of the allegations
cese until a permanent re- date back decades, long
placement is found. before Malone's arrival in
Malone insisted he had de- Buffalo in 2012. But critics
cided to retire two years say there have been more
before the mandatory re- recent missteps by Malone,
tirement age of 75 on his including his decision to In this Nov. 5, 2018 file photo, Bishop Richard Malone of Buffalo, speaks during a news conference
own accord, after much return to ministry a priest in Cheektowaga, N.Y.
prayer and discernment. who had been suspended Associated Press
However, the Vatican em- by a previous bishop for
bassy to the U.S. said Malo- including "love you" in a but taking no immediate done to move our church sions and wounds that I am
ne only offered to retire Facebook message to an action to remove him. toward this new day when unable to bind and heal,"
after learning the results of eighth-grade boy. Earlier, his executive assis- sexual abuse and miscon- he said.
a Vatican-mandated in- Malone later endorsed the tant, Siobhan O'Connor, duct is unthinkable, when DiMarzio said he had con-
vestigation into the western same priest for a job as a leaked internal church victims of sexual abuse ducted his investigation
New York diocese and its cruise ship chaplain, even documents after becom- achieve a measure of jus- with "urgency" at the re-
handling of abuse claims. after he was also accused ing concerned that Malo- tice and healing from the quest of the Holy See, in-
In a statement, Malone of making unwanted ad- ne had intentionally omit- Church that has wronged terviewing 80 people over
said he had come to be- vances toward young men. ted dozens of names from them, and when the laity several weeks.
lieve "that the spiritual wel- Malone has admitted to a publicly released list of are welcomed as equal "I pray this moment of suf-
fare of the people of the making mistakes in cases priests with credible allega- participants with the clergy fering and pain will lead
Diocese of Buffalo will be involving adult victims. But tions of abuse. in the task of rebuilding the to a birth of new faith," he
better served by a new he had firmly refused to re- A diocesan priest, mean- diocese," it said. said.
bishop who perhaps is bet- sign and insisted he wanted while, circulated a "no con- The Vatican hasn't released Among those who called
ter able to bring about the to stay on the job to see the fidence" letter for signa- the results of the inquiry for Malone's resignation
reconciliation, healing and diocese through a process tures. into Buffalo that was con- was the former dean of
renewal that is so needed." of "renewal." And in September, a group ducted by Brooklyn Bishop seminarians at the dio-
Scharfenberger told a Pressure on him to leave of lay Catholics that had Nicholas DiMarzio. cese's Christ the King Semi-
news conference in Buffalo was intense. been working with Malone Malone said he had been nary. In a letter outlining his
that he wants to be seen as In the past year, two key to restore trust in the church made aware of the "gener- decision to withdraw from
a healer willing to listen and members of Malone's staff instead joined in calls for his al conclusions" of the report his studies to become a
to develop trust. have gone public with con- resignation. and that they had been priest, Stephen Parisi called
"I feel a little bit like the cerns about his leadership, The group, the Movement a factor in his decision to the diocese's handing of
neighbor down the block," including his former secre- to Restore Trust, said it re- seek early retirement. clerical sexual abuse cases
he said, "and I realize that tary, the Rev. Ryszard Bier- ceived word of Malone's "It is my honest assessment "disgusting and revolting"
this family has been suf- nat, who secretly recorded departure "with a mixture that I have accomplished and raised questions about
fering quite a bit in recent Malone calling a then-ac- of sadness and relief." as much as I am able to, the institution's academic
months and years. And my tive priest "a sick puppy," "There is much work to be and that there remain divi- practices and oversight.q