Buffalo Diocese Releases 36 More Names, Malone Vows Not To Resign

CHEEKTOWAGA – The Buffalo Diocese has released the names of 20 more priests and 16 members of religious orders who have at least one substantiated abuse of a minor allegation, bringing the total number to 176 accused priests.
At a press conference at Infant of Prague Parish, Monday afternoon, Bishop Richard Malone prayed for abuse victims and said resigning as Bishop could create more instability at a time when the Church needs more stability.
In praying to open the conference, Malone asked Jesus to “join to your own suffering those who have been hurt.”
He went on to ask that God “heal your people’s wounds and transform brokeness to wholeness.”
Malone said the sex abuse scandal has caused good priests to have difficulty carrying out their duties.
“Too much is at stake,” Malone said. “First, and foremost, we are about healing.” The number of victims has been overwhelming, Malone said.
“If still there are victims out there who have not come forward to us, please do so,” Malone said.
Finding the truth, which is the church’s ultimate goal, can be difficult, Malone said.
“As much as we all want resolution, the investigations must be thorough,” Malone said. “We cannot sacrifice truth for speed.”
Malone said the Buffalo Diocese needs stability and that a resignation not only does not create that stability, but it could create more instability. He said he will continue to work with “others who still believe in me.”
The names released are of those who have a substantiated abuse claim against them, a church spokeswoman said. Church officials said most of the substantiated abuses happened between 1960 and 1970, and the numbers have decreased since then.
A Church spokesman said there is a belief that there is a vast wave of sexual abuse going on in the Diocese and “That is absolutely not true.”
He said the scandal in Boston in 2002 was handled poorly by the Diocese there, but that many of the same mistakes were made in Buffalo at that time.
“Did the Church here in Buffalo make the same bad decisions in 2002? Yes, it did,” he said.
The list of names released by the Buffalo Diocese Monday includes: Rev. Ron Becker (2009), Rev. Robert P. Conlin (1997), Rev. Paul R. Coppola (2006), Rev. Dennis Fronczak, Msgr. Gerald Leo Green (2012), Rev. Louis Mako, Rev. Frances McKenna (1997), Rev. Robert Moss (2018), Rev. Michael Raimondo, Rev. Joseph Rappl, Rev. Joseph A. Schuster (2007), Rev. Gerald Sheehan (2006), Rev. Ronald Silverio, Rev. Howard Slack (1976), Rev. Arthur Smith, Rev. Clatus E. Snyder (2001), Msgr. William G. Stanton (2004), Rev. Harry Richard Strassberger (1999), Rev. Samuel Venne and Rev. Charles Werth (2017).
Also were the names of members of various religious orders. The list is: Rev. Benedict Barszcz, Society of the Catholic Apostolate (SAC), Rev. James Burson, Congregation of Jesus and Mary (CJM), Rev. Peter Conroy, Society of Jesus (SJ), Rev. James Gould, SJ, Rev. Stanley Idziak, SAC, Rev. Paul Keeling, Clerics Regular of St. Paul (CRSP), Rev. Theodore Kocian, SAC, Rev. Michael Kolodziej, Order of Friars (OFM), Rev. Linus E. Kopczewski, OFM, Rev. Thomas R. Marshall, Paulist Fathers (CSP), Rev. Rene Maynard, OFM, Rev. Loren Society of the Divine Saviour (SDS), Rev. Theodore Podson, Scholarum Piarum (SchP), Rev. Maurice Scheier, OFM, Rev. James Smyka, OFM and Rev. Bernard Splawski, OFM.