BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Michael Fisher will be installed as the 15th Bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo on Friday afternoon.
"I see it as a gift," he said Thursday on WBEN. "Coming into a diocese that has great traditions and a legacy of faith."
Prior to coming to Buffalo, Fisher, 62, was auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington, a role he held for two years. He has served nearly 30 years in ministry.
"It will be a little subdued because of the COVID lockdown," he said. "Normally an installation should be a celebration of the people of the diocese as a new shepherd comes in. I think that's what I wanted it to be. It will be live streamed for those who are unable to make it and be in the cathedral."
Fisher faces several challenges as the new bishop. He takes over following the retirement of Bishop Richard Malone, which came after waves of criticism for his handling of the clergy sex abuse scandal at the Diocese of Buffalo. The Buffalo Diocese also filed for bankruptcy while Albany Bishop Edward Scharfenberger led the church as apostolic administrator.
While offering few specifics of how he will address those challenges, Fisher pledged to "consultation, collaboration, and communication", something he hopes will be the hallmarks of his leadership.
Though the new bishop will be given a chance by many to right the ship, there remains skepticism over what sort of systemic changes there will be under his leadership. James Faluszczak, a survivor of clergy sex abuse and outspoken critic of the Diocese of Buffalo's handling of the scandal, said he's careful to express optimism.
"We've been disappointed so many times," Faluszczak told WBEN. "I was very optimistic when Bishop Scharfenberger was named administrator because I had a little personal history with him that was positive. Obviously with the bankruptcy and other kinds of legal stunts, I've been kind of disappointed. I hope this is a happy day for Buffalo and I hope Bishop Fisher represents a time of optimism for the good people of Western New York and the good Catholic community here around Buffalo."
Cardinal Timothy Dolan will install Fisher.
Faluszak took issue with the way Fisher rose through the ranks. Specifically, he criticized Fisher's relationship with former Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who retired in November and was the successor to disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
"Cardinal Wuerl ordained Mike Fisher as a bishop in Washington, D.C.," Faluszczak said. "Certainly they were collaborators. One might say they were cronies. Fisher was his last recommendation as bishop in the United States. To my mind, that process and the people pulling the levers of that process is really even scandalous."
Faluszczak said Cardinal Wuerl was caught lying about his awareness about McCarrick's child abuse. The behind-the-scenes scandals are what is prompting Faluszczak to lead a demonstration Friday during Fisher's installment.
"How a disgraced cardinal will recommend his cronies to become a bishop in this day and age, after everything that has happened in Buffalo," Faluszczak said. "It's shameful that Pope Francis has followed this procedure and followed this advice of a man who is really not recognized as having moral credibility in the United States. My intention is to really point to that procedure and process and hwo we got our bishop appointed here."
But is it fair to pin blame on the incoming bishop because of his association? Faluszczak said it was a fair point to make and said his intent is not to poke at Fisher himself, but instead the system in which he was appointed.
"The good people of Buffalo are long overdue for some optimism and some good news," he said.
