‘Criminality is not entitled to secrecy,’ interim Buffalo Diocese bishop says (6 p.m.)
‘Criminality is not entitled to secrecy,’ interim Buffalo Diocese bishop says (6 p.m.)
Since Pope Francis named him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Buffalo one month ago, Albany Bishop Edward B.
Scharfenberger said it has become clear to him that he’s now leading a wounded flock.
THE INTERIM BISHOPOF BUFFALO'SCATHOLIC DIOCESE...GIVING HIS FIRST SIT-DOWN INTERVIEWSINCE TAKING OVERFROM HIS EMBATTLEDPREDECESSOR.BISHOP EDWARDSCHARFENBERGERTOUCHED ON ANUMBER OFSUBJECTS...INCLUDING THEFUTURE OF THEDIOCESE...BANKRUPTCY... ANDWHETHER MOREINFORMATION WILL BERELEASED ON THECLERGY SEX ABUSECRISIS.HERE'S WHAT OURCHIEF I-TEAMINVESTIGATORCHARLIE SPECHTFOUND OUT.SINCE POPE FRANCISNAMED HIMAPOSTOLICADMINISTRATOR OFTHE DIOCESE OFBUFFALO ONE MONTHAGO, ALBANY BISHOPEDWARDSCHARFENBERGERSAYS IT'S CLEAR HE'SNOW LEADING AWOUNDED FLOCK.BISHOPSCHARFENBERGER:WHAT I DO SENSE IS ACERTAIN IMPATIENCE.YOU KNOW, WESHOULD HAVE DONE ALOT OF THINGSYESTERDAY.
AND IWANT TO DO THINGS INA VERY DELIBERATIVEWAY SO THAT WE GETIT RIGHT.SCHARFENBERGERTOLD THE I-TEAM HEHAS ALREADY MADE AFEW CHANGES...LIKEBARRING BISHOPSAND CHURCHLAWYERS FROMPLAYING ACTIVEROLES IN THEDIOCESE REVIEWSCHARFENBERGERWE'VE HEARD THEWORD COVER UP A LOTWORD SECRECY A LOT,AND I JUST WANT TO BEWANTED TO BE SAIDTHAT THERE IS NOCRIMINALITY IS NOTENTITLED TO SECRECY.SCHARFENBERGERSAYS HE HAS A'ZERO-TOLERANCE'APPROACH TOCRIMINAL BEHAVIORFROM PRIESTS...ANDSAYS THERE SHOULDBE 'NO HIDDENCORNERS' OF THEDIOCESE...WHICH ISWHY WE ASKED HIMABOUT THE SECRETFILES BISHOP MALONESTORED IN A VACUUMCLOSET.SPECHT:HAVE YOU OPENED UPTHE ARCHIVE READTHROUGH THE BINDEROR ANYTHING?SCHARFENBERGER:WELL, I'VE HEARD A LOTOF THAT THERE'S A LOTOF BINDERS I'VE HEARDOF AND THE BLACKBOOK AND SO FORTH.NO, I WANT TO, TO BEABLE TO KNOW WHATIS IN THE FILES TO THEBEST THAT I POSSIBLYCAN.SCHARFENBERGSAYS HE WANTSABUSE SURVIVORS TOCOMEFORWARD...EVEN IFTHEY HAVE BEENHURT IN THE PAST BYTHE CHURCH'SRESPONSE.SCHARFENBERGER:MY APPEAL WOULD BETO ANYBODY WHO HASEXPERIENCED ABUSE,IN ANY WAY, SHOULDNEVER BE AFRAID TOCOME FORWARD.SPECHT:WHAT DO YOU SAY TOPEOPLE, WHO SAID, IDID THAT, UNDER THEPREVIOUS BISHOP, ANDI WAS IGNORED.SCHARFENBERGER:DO IT AGAIN.
I'M SORRYABOUT THAT, YOUKNOW, I HAVE NOCONTROL OVER THEPAST YOU KNOW ANDI'M NOT DISMISSINGTHAT IN ANY WAY AND ICAN ONLY SAY, MYAPOLOGIES MYREGRETS.
IF THAT WASYOUR EXPERIENCEYOU KNOW BUT I CANONLY SAY AS LONG ASI'M HERE.
DO NOT BEAFRAID.BEFORE THEINTERVIEW, WE TOOKQUESTIONS FROMABUSE SURVIVORSLIKE SARAH ANN, WHOWROTE ONFACEBOOK, "I FEELTHAT I SHOULD BEABLE TO SEE ANYDOCUMENTATION OFNUMEROUS CLAIMSMADE FROM ME OR ONMY BEHALF...WHY WASIT ALL HIDDEN?
?"ANDREW WROTE,SPECHT/SHOWANDREW FB POST:AM I AS A SURVIVOR,ABLE TO OBTAIN ALLTHE INFORMATION THEDIOCESE HAS ON MYABUSER?SCHARFENBERGER:YES, YES ABSOLUTELY.ABSOLUTELY.
IF ASURVIVOR PUTS THATQUESTION OUT AND ISINTERESTED SHOULDCOME FORWARD ANDWE'LL DO WHATEVERWE CAN TO BE TO LETTHAT PERSON KNOWWHAT THEY NEED TOKNOW AND WANT TOKNOW.SCHARFENBERGERSAYS HE IS STILLGETTING HISBEARINGS BUT KNOWSA BIG DECISION --WHETHER TO FILEBANKRUPTCY -- ISCOMING UP FAST...HESAYS CATHOLICSSHOULD STAY TUNED.SCHARFENBERGER:I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE AMONTH, BUT I THINKYOU WILL SEE A LOTMORE ACTION IN THENEXT FEW WEEKS.INTERESTING TIDBIT --THE VATICAINVESTIGATION OF THEBUFFALO DIOCESEAND BISHOP MALONETHAT LED TO ALL THISCHANGE...WELLSCHARFENBERGERSAYS THE VATICANHAS NOT GIVEN HIMA COPY OF THEREPORT FROM THATINVESTIGATION.MANY PEOPLETHOUGHT HE WOULDBE ONE OF THE FIRSTONES TO GET A COPY.THOUGHT HE WOULDBE ONE OF THE FIRSTONES TO GET A COPY.YOU CAN HEARCHARLIE'S COMLETEINTERVIEW WITHBISHOPSCHARFENBERGERRIGHT NOW ON OURWEBSITE... WKBW-DOT-COM.
