Tag: Fr. Ryszard Biernat

Bishop Richard Malone celebrates Mass with Father Ryszard Biernat
Bishop Accountability

Jesus to whistleblowers: Be “deeply disturbed” by wicked behavior and act upon it.

Jennifer Kane

Arrested for possession of material depicting the sexual abuse of children, Father Jeffrey Nowak would likely still be an active priest today in the Diocese of Buffalo had it not been for Father Ryszard Biernat being "deeply disturbed" about his behavior--just like the fellow servants were in Jesus' parable. In yesterday's Gospel (Matthew 18: 21-35), Jesus tells the parable about a king who magnanimously forgives a large debt a servant owes him. Part Two of the parable shockingly reveals the same exonerated servant putting a fellow servant in prison for not paying a smaller debt owed to him. Oh, wait. There isn't a Part Two to this parable until the whistleblowers (fellow servants) inform the king.

Bishop Accountability

Fr. Ryszard Biernat is still banned from ministry 6 years after whistleblowing on Diocese of Buffalo officials; the officials should face accountability as well

Jennifer Kane

The Diocese of Buffalo, currently led by Bishop Michael Fisher, has sadistically isolated one of its priests for six long years for daring to publicly expose its secret system of operations which protected sexual predator priests. Those operations relied on the complicity of several diocesan officials still leading us TODAY who have never faced accountability. Some have even received diocesan honors. This is terrifying. If Fr. Biernat has to face accountability for his decisions, these officials should too. Read to see names and faces of these officials.

Bishop Accountability, Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo, Evidence, Rev. Ryszard Biernat, whistleblowers

Sworn testimonies reveal cruel vein of inhumanity in Buffalo bishops

Jennifer Kane

Laity can now read sworn testimony by two Diocese of Buffalo bishops who painted a chilling picture of dereliction of duty in how they handled reports of clergy sexual abuse the past 20 years. A deep dive into documentary evidence and testimonies arguably reveals a cruel vein of inhumanity, a sociopathic trait most disturbing in the way they handled the case of Rev. Art Smith. Whistleblowers Father Ryszard Biernat and Siobhan O’Connor weigh in.

Bishop Accountability, Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo, fictional remedies to clergy sex abuse crisis, Rev. Ryszard Biernat, whistleblowers, You can't make this up

Shocking details in new TV documentary series further vindicate Diocese of Buffalo whistleblowers

Jennifer Kane

News surfaced on the international front that further vindicated the heroic efforts of Buffalo whistleblowers. Within a week of the publication of The Buffalo News‘ front-page photo of Rev. Ryszard Biernat,former diocesan vice chancellor, in blue coveralls carrying a ladder in his current job as building maintenance manager... a multi-part documentary series in Poland finished up its television run revealing in one of its episodes shocking new details about the way officials in the Diocese of Buffalo allegedly handled physical reports of clergy sexual abuse.It is a shameful reflection not just of diocesan officials including our bishop, but of we laity 60 years after Vatican II. By not bothering to address even this single case, we laity collectively join our bishop in tacitly enforcing a universal gag order on all diocesan employees (especially clergy) who witness corruption or criminal/abusive behavior. The bishop's retaliation is just too damn severe. [Click title to read article]

Bishop Accountability, Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo, Rev. Ryszard Biernat, whistleblowers, You can't make this up

A call for accountability: Bishop Grosz faces another Vos estis report under 3rd-party bishop reporting system

Jennifer Kane

As a corroborating witness to allegations of Bishop Grosz's interference with the investigation of a clergy sexual abuse report, I recently filed a report to the Vatican using an official online reporting system in place. Allegations of his abuse of authority, punctuated by blackmailing the victim, grabbed national and international media attention. While our Buffalo bishop appears numb to this case, a particular arm of the Vatican is mandated by the pope to investigate such “Vos estis” reports. I'll walk you through the reporting process. [Click title to read more]

Buffalo Survivors Group, whistleblowers

Revisiting Good Samaritan parable: Heartless reaction among diocese’s clergy to survivors of clergy sexual abuse

Jennifer Kane

In a stunning set of recent communications to clergy sexual abuse survivors, a Diocese of Buffalo priest reveals a disturbing culture Jesus warned us about in his parable of the Good Samaritan. Diocesan whistleblower, Siobhan O’Connor, weighs in.

Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo, Lay Advisory Groups, Rev. Ryszard Biernat

Survivors group rebukes Bishop Fisher for treating whistleblower as “enemy” in mass mailing to every cleric and most nuns and lay advisors in Diocese of Buffalo

Jennifer Kane

Two years after whistleblower Rev. Ryszard Biernat’s removal from active ministry, survivors of clergy sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo sent a stern message to every single bishop, priest, deacon, and most lay advisors and nuns in the diocese: “Renewal” is a farce if diocesan officials who covered up clergy sexual abuse reports are not held accountable while they hold Father Biernat accountable for exposing such “foul deeds.”

Accountability IS mercy, Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo, Rev. Ryszard Biernat, You can't make this up

Clericalism: when laity are held accountable and clergy are not

Jennifer Kane

The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks recently fired top-tier officials for ignoring a rookie hockey player’s report of sexual assault by a coach years ago. This man’s heartbreaking story is no different from Rev. Ryszard Biernat’s in the Diocese of Buffalo, where STILL no official has been held accountable for ignoring his 2004 report of sexual assault by a priest. Bishop Michael Fisher maintains this particular expression of clericalism by refusing to hold his officials accountable for botching clergy sexual abuse reports.

Lay Advisory Groups

Senators, survivors call for accountability in botched handling of child sex abuse reports–something bishops NEVER do

Jennifer Kane

Elite Olympic gymnasts made it clear: It isn't enough to put away the doctor who molested them. Those who enabled the molester by ignoring/mishandling abuse reports need to be held accountable as well. Senators and the FBI director agreed. If only Bishop Michael Fisher could grasp this concept as well.

Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo

A portrait of clericalism in the Diocese of Buffalo

Jennifer Kane

Clericalism- a form of elitism. A sense of belonging to a separate class of persons marked by privilege, deference and power. Bishop Michael Fisher continues to do nothing about the credible allegation that this auxiliary bishop threatened a seminarian to keep him from reporting sex abuse suffered at the hands of a priest. There's been NO investigation into that allegation made by the victim back in 2019. Want to know why? Keep reading.