Image courtesy of wnycatholic.org
St. Bonaventure University’s president, Dr. Dennis DePerro, said in an interview with The Bona Venture on Thursday that he believes Bishop Richard J. Malone of the Diocese of Buffalo should step down from his position as bishop.
The university also sent a release to media outlets and the university community. In the release, DePerro said, “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.”
The Diocese of Buffalo responded to DePerro’s statements on Friday afternoon in a media release.
“Bishop Malone is disappointed and dismayed with the comments of Dr. DePerro,” read the release.
The back-and-forth between DePerro and the diocese comes in the wake of a Wednesday report by WKBW-TV that named 25 priests who have been accused of abuse.
The diocese statement said, “We suspect that Dr. DePerro has not fully studied the carefully developed and well-publicized protocols of the Diocese of Buffalo. The bishop has received helpful input from others, including the president of Canisius College and other members of the Movement to Restore Trust, on how diocesan procedures might be improved. The bishop would have welcomed and still would accept such input from Dr. DePerro, but to criticize the bishop for following established protocols is unjust.”
“Dr. DePerro understands and respects the bishop’s desire to respond to his position, but won’t comment any further on it,” said Tom Missel, the chief communications officer for St. Bonaventure University.
Charlie Specht, a member of WKBW’s I-Team, gave the diocese the chance to clarify the nature of the abuse allegations. Prior to the release of Wednesday’s story, Specht sent an email to Kathy Spangler, communications director for the Diocese of Buffalo. The email, which Specht sent on Monday, read, “I would like to give the diocese the opportunity to clarify the nature of the allegations (child/adult, time period, outcome) and to paint a fuller picture of what is being alleged.” In the same email, Specht said the diocese had until 5 p.m. on Tuesday to respond to the offer.
According to documents published by Specht, Spangler never responded to the offer. Thus, Specht did not have clarification on the type of allegations made surrounding the priests on the newly-published list.
In Friday’s statement, the Diocese of Buffalo said that the allegations against Fr. Gervase White, O.F.M., were not related to child abuse. White worked at St. Bonaventure for 47 years before his retirement in 2001.
DePerro said in Thursday’s interview with The Bona Venture that, “An issue of this nature needs to be dealt with appropriately, with guidance from… the Vatican.”
“This is a human flaw that has really… expanded to a level that is out of control in terms of reports of sexual abuse, the number of victims, the number of clergy that have been in these situations,” DePerro said Thursday.
This story is ongoing, and The Bona Venture will continue to cover any updates that may arise.
By Meghan Hall, News Assignment Editor
hallml18@bonaventure.edu
