Bishop Richard J. Malone
In this hardscrabble Rust Belt city with deep Catholic roots, the Catholic Church's top official is facing calls for his resignation over his handling of sexual abuse allegations against priests.
Documents obtained by CNN suggest Bishop Richard J. Malone
did not sanction priests accused of sexual abuse and concealed the identities of alleged "predator priests" from the public. In a preemptive move in March, Malone released
a list of 42 priests in the Buffalo diocese who had left the priesthood after facing accusations of sexually abusing minors. "The diocese of Buffalo is committed to correcting the mistakes and sins of the past," he said at the time. But a trove of secret diocesan records, first reported by CNN
affiliate WKBW and obtained by CNN, show
the number of accused priests could be up to 200.
The records are stashed by diocese officials in what they call the "Secret Archives" --
confidential files of living priests who are still being monitored -- or "the Well," which contains case files that are to be shredded. Part of the trove comes from a thick black binder kept in a closet next to a vacuum cleaner, according to a source familiar with the matter. The source told CNN that
the binder is a 300-page briefing book prepared by the dioceses' attorneys for Malone when he became bishop in 2012. It contains "pending matters" in "anticipation of litigation," and lists the names of dozens of accused priests as well as a number of victim accounts.
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