ST. BONAVENTURE – Dr. Dennis R. DePerro, president of St. Bonaventure University, issued a statement in which he said he “believes the time has come for Diocese of Buffalo Bishop Richard Malone to step down for the good of the diocese.”
“No organization in today’s world — including the Catholic Church — is exempt from accountability,” DePerro said. “I believe that a good leader would recognize that moment and step down.”
He went on to say he believes Malone is a good man spiritually.
“I truly believe Bishop Malone is a good person spiritually and he’s always been a staunch supporter of Catholic education, to which I’ve devoted my life. But the reality is that we’re not healing. We’re not restoring trust. As these reports continue to surface through the media and not from the Diocese, that trust continues to erode and victims have to relive, time and time again, the trauma they endured.”
“I recognize that Bishop Malone inherited much of this crisis, but he hasn’t been transparent enough along the way for Catholics in Western New York to continue to have confidence in his leadership. I admire his unflinching desire to repair the damage this crisis has caused, but sometimes, the most courageous thing a man can do is to step aside and recognize that his voice is no longer being heard and that he’s standing in the way of creating true resolution.”
Malone. late Thursday, issued a lengthy statement defending the Catholic Church’s reaction and handling of sexual abuse claims against clergy, saying that lessons were learned and that the media is loose with the facts.
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