Scandal hits Catholic church again as bishop resigns

A Bishop in New York has resigned from his job over claims of abuse cover up in the Catholic Church.

Bishop Richard Malone of the Buffalo Diocese of New York is said to have presided over a diocese ravaged by numerous scandals.

”It is facing more than 200 lawsuits and an FBI investigation,” CNN reported, lifting the lid on just how prevalent the problem is.

Malone in several leaked reports has been placed at the center of the cover ups for clergy members who have been accused of sexual abuse.

There are secret recordings of Malone saying that a case in which a pastor abused a seminarian could end his career and destroy his reputation.

One of the leaked reports depicts the bishop working with lawyers on a damage control strategy for the several accusations laid against the church.

Yet another leak revealed that the Bishop was unwilling to terminate a priest who he described as a ‘sick puppy’.

The 73 year old has been forced to leave his position two years before he turns 75: the age Catholic Bishops are supposed to retire.

Malone says that it is after ”much prayer and discernment” that he has decided to let someone else take the reins of the diocese.

He also acknowledged that the scandals brought ‘tremendous turmoil’ saying that even though the woes of the Buffalo diocese have been attributed to him, there is a systemic issue to address.

In March 2018, at the height of the public outcry, Malone released a list of 42 clergy members who had been accused of abuse.

This, according to a former aide was an edited list that originally contained 100 names.

In December 2019, 12,000 people signed the petition that forced the 73 year old bishop to retire with a temporary replacement put in place to hold fort.