Catholic Diocese of Buffalo

The Roman Catholic Church was scheduled to install Bishop Michael Fisher as the 15th Bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo in a Friday afternoon ceremony inside St. Joseph's Cathedral in downtown Buffalo. Earlier in the week, WBFO had the opportunity to interview the bishop one-on-one and cover topics including the ongoing COVID pandemic, the Church's role in social justice issues and, of course, the clergy sex abuse scandal which broke nearly three years ago.

Washington, D.C. Auxiliary Bishop Michael William Fisher has been appointed by Pope Francis as the fifteenth bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo in an announcement from the Vatican Tuesday.

His revelation nearly three years ago of sexual abuse by a priest within the Diocese of Buffalo touched off a wave of further complaints, which soon led to the departure of former diocesan leaders. Michael Whalen, when asked about the lawsuit filed against the diocese Monday by the New York State Attorney General, called the action "a big stepping stone" toward justice.

The Diocese of Buffalo is shutting down Christ the King Seminary at the end of its current academic year.

He came to Buffalo saying he'll be doing a lot of listening and learning. Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of Albany met diocesan staff and local news media Wednesday, just hours after the Vatican confirmed the resignation of Bishop Richard Malone.

"Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Richard J. Malone from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Buffalo and has appointed Most Reverend Edward B. Scharfenberger, Bishop of Albany, as the Apostolic Administrator of Buffalo to serve until the installation of a new bishop," announced the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops early Wednesday morning.

A correspondent for London-based weekly Catholic news publication The Tablet, citing "reliable sources," suggests Bishop Richard Malone's resignation is "imminent," in advance of a Friday meeting between Pope Francis and the bishops of dioceses of New York State.

The Diocese of Rochester, which faces dozens of lawsuits filed under the Child Victims Act, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection Thursday morning. Bishop Richard Malone, in his most recent public comments, revealed it's an option still under consideration for the Diocese of Buffalo.

More than 230 cases are already expected to be filed in Erie County during the statewide one-year window that starts Wednesday and allows survivors of child sex abuse to file charges against their abuser—regardless of when the abuse took place.

A former priest who now leads an agency advocating for victims of  sexual abuse is criticizing the system by which the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo processed and compensated abuse cases.

Ash Wednesday, which opens the solemn Christian season of Lent, is a period of time during which faithful examine their own selves, sometimes commit to sacrifices such as giving up an indulgence and seek spiritual cleansing. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, acknowledging its clergy sexual abuse scandal, is marking Ash Wednesday 2019 as the start of a year-long prayer of healing for church abuse victims and the church itself.

Hundreds of Catholic young people turned out over the weekend for the annual Youth Convention, this year carrying the theme "Power Up."

Buffalo's Catholic Bishop Richard Malone addressed the media in a lengthy press conference following a meeting with priests from across the Diocese. He spoke on the scandal over sexual abuse by members of the clergy, and calls for his resignation over handling of the matter.

Bishop Richard Malone says he made mistakes in handling accusations of sexual abuse by clergy but those errors were not to a level that calls for his resignation. Hours before Malone's remarks to a local radio station, a group of Catholic lay persons stood outside the Diocese of Buffalo's downtown headquarters, renewing the call for change in local church leadership.

Victims of sexual abuse by clergy and those with information about such cases are being encouraged to contact a hotline or file an online complaint form. Those options were announced Thursday by the New York State Attorney General, who has also reportedly issued subpoenas to every diocese within the state, including the Diocese of Buffalo, seeking more information on abuse.