Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Buffalo Catholic Diocese Bishop Richard Malone says he will not step down. This coming just hours after new initiatives were introduced in conjuction with the Movement to Restore Trust.
"I have been doing all my ministry everywhere I'm scheduled to do it, enjoying being with the people. I get my strength from the regular people in the pews," says Malone. "I am not going to resign, and there's plenty of support everywhere I go."
Malone and the Movement to Restore Trust introduced a series of initiatives Monday. They include diocese-wide listening sessions and Malone formalizing a process for meeting with victims of sexual abuse by reserving regular hours on his schedule for individual meetings with victims.
Malone says the joint implementation team's first meeting was good. "I felt the grace of God," says Malone. "It was cordial, candid, and a sense we want to move forward with the healing of the victims." He says the diocese is in a better place with more transparency.