“Absolutely false,” replied Bishop Malone. Then he said, “Thank you very much. That’s the end of our conversation.” Malone was walking with his auxiliary, Bishop Edward Grosz. The two Buffalo prelates were walking together, otherwise unaccompanied. The pair were several dozen paces behind a loose group of perhaps a half-dozen New York bishops, one of whom was Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Bishop Malone and the diocese he leads have both been in the spotlight for at least eighteen months, after investigative reporter Charlie Specht made allegations about serious mismanagement. In August of last year, whistleblowers including Bishop Malone’s former administrative assistant, Siobhan O’Connor, began coming forward with stories and documentation.
Malone, who inherited what by all accounts was already a very disorderly diocese, has been accused of mishandling several abuse cases himself, and of failure to deal appropriately with cases he inherited – cases involving both the protection of minors and legal adults – as well as unresponsiveness and even disregard for the good of the flock. He has strongly defended his record and denied the misconduct allegations, but admits to some “mistakes”….