Buffalo’s new Catholic bishop says he will remove abusers and their enablers

Title: Buffalo’s new Catholic bishop says he will remove abusers and their enablers

Authors: Steve Brown and Joseph O’Rourke

Publisher: 2WGRZ

Date: 14JAN2021

‘I want to part of the healing,’ Fisher said, adding that he wants to meet with any victims who would allow him to meet with them. He’ll be the 15th bishop.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Having lived most of his life in the Baltimore-Washington area, we asked Buffalo’s new Catholic bishop, Michael Fisher, if he knew anyone in Western New York.

Bishop Mike, as he prefers to be called, thought for a moment and answered, “No.”

To his knowledge, there are no familiar names or faces for him in the Buffalo Catholic Diocese.

That may prove to be an asset because after Fisher is installed on Friday afternoon, he faces a number of tough decisions. He says he’s willing to toss out clergy and others involved in the sex abuse scandal that rocked the diocese.

When the scandal bloomed in 2018, some disheartened parishioners stopped going to Mass. Many of them have not returned. Collections and donations fell to area churches and the diocese, and the financial weight of scores of sex abuse lawsuits pushed the diocese into bankruptcy. The lengthy court proceeding is not expected to end this year.