BUFFALO (NY)
Buffalo News
March 20, 2018, updated March 21, 2018
By Tom Precious
[Includes streaming audio of the entire interview.]
Bishop Richard J. Malone said Tuesday that it was important for the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and for victims of clergy sexual abuse that he publicly identify 42 priests who have been accused of sexual misconduct involving children.
In an exclusive interview with The Buffalo News hours after he released the list of 42 priests, Malone said the diocese may struggle because of its new transparency, but it will be a good struggle.
“We’ve been working on this for months. Reviewing old cases and all of that. I have just become more and more convinced it was time to put those names out. The main reasons are really transparency. You’ve heard of the Dallas Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. It calls us to transparency. I wanted that transparency to happen,” he said. “We know if a sexual abuse victim sees the name in print of the abuser, sometimes that person might have been ashamed and hidden away. Seeing the name in print, acknowledged by the church, can liberate and empower that person to come forward. And we want them to come forward for help.”
“I think the tendency decades ago was perhaps like a family. You don’t want to hang out the dirty laundry. But clearly there was dirty laundry. I hate to use that metaphor for human beings. But I felt it was time to bring it into the light.”
He noted that about 30 Catholic dioceses out of 197 in the U.S. have publicized the names of priests involved in sexual abuse allegations.
“The majority have not,” he said.
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