BishopAccountability.org

Former Bishop of Portland Diocese steps down in NY, accused of shielding pedophile priests

WGME TV
December 4, 2019

https://bit.ly/34QydID


[with video]

A former Bishop of the Portland Diocese, accused of shielding predator pedophile priests, has stepped down from his post in New York.

Bishop Richard Malone is currently under a criminal investigation in Buffalo for allegedly diverting charitable donations into a fund for bishops.

Paul Kendrick is a graduate of Cheverus High School who co-founded a group to help Maine victims molested by pedophile priests.

He says more than a decade ago, his group asked then-Portland Bishop Richard Malone to post the names of priests credibly accused of abuse, and to embrace victims with compassion and get them the help they need.

But instead, he says Bishop Malone did just the opposite.

"Bishop Malone just treated the mother of one of the victims in such a horrible way that advocates demonstrated against him all the way from Boston," Kendrick said.

Kendrick says they've urged the Maine Attorney General to open investigation of the Portland Diocese, like the one now being conducted in Buffalo that led to Bishop Malone's resignation.

"This is a $50-million-a-year organization that has been hiding felony sex crimes against children for years," Kendrick said.

According to published reports, Bishop Malone had been pressured for more than a year within his own diocese for him to step down due to his handling of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Bishop Malone had repeatedly said he would not resign until his 75th birthday in 2021. Wednesday, Pope Francis accepted his resignation.

Bishop Malone issued a short statement, which says in part, "I have concluded the people of the Diocese of Buffalo will be better served by a new Bishop who perhaps is better able to bring about reconciliation and healing."

Wednesday, the new interim Bishop of Buffalo says he'll to launch his own investigation into allegations within the Buffalo Diocese.

He also vowed to help heal the wounds of abuse victims.

"This is about the mission of the church," Bishop Edward Scharfenberger said. "Anything that I possibly can do to help victims, I will do."




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