Anti-Gay Bishop Quits In Abuse Coverup Scandal

December 4, 2019 Religion, Scandal

The Buffalo News reports:

The press office for Pope Francis early Wednesday announced that Buffalo Bishop Richard J. Malone has stepped down. The Vatican press office described the departure as “renunciation of the pastoral government of the Diocese of Buffalo.” Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger of the Albany Diocese will take over as apostolic administrator of the Buffalo Diocese until Malone’s permanent replacement is named.

The Buffalo Diocese has been in crisis since February 2018, when the Rev. Norbert F. Orsolits, a retired priest, told The News that he had molested probably dozens of boys, an admission that led to revelations of cover-ups of clergy sex abuse complaints against other priests. The diocese paid $17.5 million to 106 childhood victims through a compensation fund. It is now facing more than 220 lawsuits filed by others who allege they were molested as minors by area priests.

Longtime JMG readers may recall that Malone appeared here often a decade ago when he led Maine’s anti-gay marriage movement.

In 2009, he ordered all of the state’s Catholic churches to make a special second collection during mass for the anti-gay Stand For Marriage Maine, which organized the successful referendum to repeal the bill signed earlier that year by then-Gov. John Balducci. 

That same year he spearheaded a 40-day statewide fast against same-sex marriage, calling it a “dangerous sociological experiment that I believe will have negative consequences for society.”

In 2010, Malone ordered the defunding of a Portland homeless shelter for having publicly backed same-sex marriage.

In 2012, Malone declared he was “deeply saddened” when the state’s voters undid the result of the 2009 referendum. Womp, womp.



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