BUFFALO (WBEN) - On Thursday morning, Attorney Paul Barr and advocate James Faluszczak hosted a press conference to announce two new court filings that allege sex abuse and coverup within the Buffalo Diocese.
The two are accusing Bishop Donald Trautman of concealing information regarding Fr. Gerard Smyczynski's "propensity to abuse children" by two specific actions when Trautman served as Vicar General of the Buffalo Diocese. They say Smyczynski allegedly abused their client in the early 1970's.
"In the lawsuit, we state that then Bishop Trautman covered this abuse up by Fr. Smyczynski," said Barr. "He paid a paultry sum of money to the survivor of (a different) abuse, which amounts to hush money, and in addition, granted and hastened the anullment of this abuse victim's parents. Bishop Trautman never called the police; he never called the district attorney, and as a result, our client that we filed the case for today was abused."
They are calling on a Vos Estis investigation into Trautman.
"We really are calling for Bishop Persico and the larger church to do the same thing on Trautman," said Faluszczak. "For all of the damage that he's done in Buffalo and in Erie, covering up all these matters, engaging in conspiracy and taking this chancery playbook across state lines, this warrants a Vos Estis investigation of its own."
In a separate case...they allege that Fr. Richard Reina sexually abused a minor while he was a priest at Holy Cross Church in Buffalo. Reina is retired but currently serving Christ the King Church in Snyder, NY.
The Diocese is unaware of any allegations against Reverend Father Richard Reina, a retired priest of the Diocese who continues to serve.
With regard to the Reverend Gerard Smyczynski, now deceased, his faculties were removed in 1985 and his name is included on the list of credibly accused clergy. The Diocese - now under the interim leadership of Bishop Edward Scharfenberger as Apostolic Administrator - is assessing the appropriate level of additional detail relating to those credibly accused that may be provided as part of the Diocese's ongoing reporting, which may contribute to the healing of survivors, who continue to be our first priority.
