{"id":6890,"date":"2022-11-21T10:21:09","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T15:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/?p=6890"},"modified":"2022-11-30T09:44:20","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T14:44:20","slug":"bishops-buy-their-way-out-of-moral-crisis-in-the-diocese-of-buffalo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/?p=6890","title":{"rendered":"Bishops buy their way out of moral crisis in the Diocese of Buffalo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"> <strong>In the midst of squandering our treasury following the clergy sexual abuse crisis, our bishops spent millions of dollars lawyering up.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/bishops-buy-their-way-out-of-moral-crisis.m4a\"><\/audio><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">[Author reads this post]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>As soon as it was daybreak, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate interrogated him: &#8220;Are you the king of the Jews?&#8221;<\/em>  (Mark 15: 1-2)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jesus Christ is king, indeed, not because he worked his way up the corporate ladder but because he voluntarily suffered for his flock. His throne&#8211;the Cross. This is the example of true leadership Christ set for his apostles and their successors to follow. There is a reason bishops and cardinals wear shades of RED. It is supposed to symbolize their willingness to shed blood for the salvation of souls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How have our bishops and their top officials in the Diocese of Buffalo suffered for their flock which has been so brutally damaged from their leaders\u2019 botched handling of the clergy sexual abuse crisis? According to the state attorney general in her <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ag.ny.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/summons_and_complaint_corrected_redacted_version.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">2020 lawsuit<\/a> against the diocese and its two former bishops,<span id='easy-footnote-1-6890' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/laydob.com\/?p=6890#easy-footnote-bottom-1-6890' title=' In November 2020, following a two-year investigation, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against the Buffalo Diocese, Bishop Emeritus Malone, and former Auxiliary Bishop Grosz for&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;mishandling child sexual abuse claims and failing to uphold their responsibilities to victims of abuse, parishioners, and the public&lt;\/strong&gt;.'><sup>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span> our diocesan officials:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>committed serial negligence in reassigning credibly-accused sexual predator priests, concealing these clerics from proper investigations, and failing to properly supervise those left to reside in our neighborhoods;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>hid these cases from the public (putting us at risk);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>betrayed sexual abuse victims by botching their reports made in good faith.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And what was the primary strategy our bishops chose to address such malfeasance after this detailed and fully documented public disclosure? <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/252654\/new-york-state-to-assume-some-oversight-of-buffalo-diocese-in-sex-abuse-settlement\" target=\"_blank\">Make a deal<\/a><\/strong><span id='easy-footnote-2-6890' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/laydob.com\/?p=6890#easy-footnote-bottom-2-6890' title='The deals made concerned a measly three to five years state oversight of handling sexual abuse reports consisting of a new way for the diocese to investigate itself. The bishop has the final say in cases. No monetary fines were imposed on anyone. Bishops Malone and Grosz are free to live their normal life of retirement and can serve in ministry as they please. No governing board would ask the two bishops to serve on the boards the state has banned them from anyway. &lt;strong&gt;No one admits guilt.&lt;\/strong&gt; No penalties imposed other than that. A whistleblower policy has not affected the adverse employment consequences of Rev. Ryszard Biernat'><sup>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span> <strong>with the state with the best attorneys money can buy.<\/strong> Take a look at the recent news out of the Diocese of Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Catholic corporate entity spent <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/buffalonews.com\/news\/local\/crime-and-courts\/as-legal-fees-grow-beyond-7-million-buffalo-diocese-bankruptcy-case-heads-to-mediation\/article_43b922b8-67c8-11ec-9e16-6b8d9ca22032.html\" target=\"_blank\">eight million<\/a> dollars (to date, according to my sources) primarily on legal fees for endless bankruptcy proceedings and the 2022 <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ag.ny.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/people_v_james_stipulated_final_order.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">lawsuit settlement<\/a> reached with New York\u2019s attorney general. Despite Bishop Richard Malone and Aux. Bishop Edward Grosz (defendants in the lawsuit) <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/buffalonews.com\/news\/local\/retired-buffalo-bishops-must-pay-for-lawyers-in-defending-against-ags-lawsuit\/article_6fd7c916-76b1-11eb-97cc-032ead20c684.html\" target=\"_blank\">paying their own legal fees<\/a> upon court order, they certainly worked in close concert with diocesan counsel. Any honest interpretation of Bishop Edward Scharfenberger (former apostolic administrator) and Bishop Michael Fisher squandering millions of donor dollars for professional fees (for both the lawsuit and bankruptcy court) can only be boiled down to this primary objective: <strong>to contain the scandal of diocesan officials\u2019 malfeasance. <\/strong>Put another way, all that money effectively kept former bishops and their officials from having to face any real accountability (suffering), if we read the state settlement with any intellectual integrity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While this latest lawsuit settlement is spun to provide a theater piece feigning diocesan \u201crenewal,\u201d in reality <strong>the deals cut with the bishops cheapen the human suffering that they helped perpetuate<\/strong>\u2014ruined lives, suicides, destruction of faith and loss of souls amidst the clergy sex abuse crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6897\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/laydob.com\/?attachment_id=6897\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Catholic-schools.jpg?fit=1125%2C1777&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1125,1777\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Catholic schools\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Catholic-schools.jpg?fit=648%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Catholic-schools.jpg?resize=334%2C528&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6897\" width=\"334\" height=\"528\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Catholic-schools.jpg?resize=648%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 648w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Catholic-schools.jpg?resize=190%2C300&amp;ssl=1 190w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Catholic-schools.jpg?resize=768%2C1213&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Catholic-schools.jpg?resize=972%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 972w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Catholic-schools.jpg?w=1125&amp;ssl=1 1125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 334px) 100vw, 334px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot from Diocese of Buffalo&#8217;s Facebook page 15 November 2022. The linked article failed to mention whether school officials were told that the diocese spent millions of dollars this past year alone on legal fees. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Money cannot begin to pay that price.<\/strong> Redemption comes through suffering, just as Jesus taught. And we share in his redemption through our own suffering. Those who inflict the hurting need to eventually put skin in that game too for the sake of those harmed and for their own souls as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So if you want to find where God is in this crisis, look to those paying the real price for the sins of our clergy and bishops: clergy sexual abuse survivors, their families, and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wkbw.com\/news\/i-team\/fr-ryszard-was-punished-by-bishop-malone-will-scharfenberger-reinstate-the-whistleblower\" target=\"_blank\">whistleblowers<\/a> who uncovered their superiors\u2019 activity in enabling the abuse and its coverup. <strong>The heavy load of suffering should rightly fall on the shoulders of our bishops and their decades-entrenched officials who instead chose to lawyer up in their desperate legal efforts to retain their offices, titles and reputations. <\/strong>By all accounts, they will continue to succeed in doing so once the bankruptcy settlement is reached. After all, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/231629807a5e8eca7535b318f1cec16c\" target=\"_blank\">bankruptcy is designed in large part to shield corporate officials<\/a> from facing accountability (suffering) in this case for how they handled reports of pedophile priests.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The example left to our children is this: you can buy your way out of a moral crisis.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than own up to their misdeeds and take their lickings, our bishops and their decades-entrenched officials have reduced the real work and sacrifice necessary to emerge from this moral catastrophe into a <strong>power game<\/strong>. How can anyone find charitable words to describe their behavior after reading the settlement? We are left with spiritual midgets aping heroism on the backs of survivors who were not only allegedly molested by priests but allegedly betrayed by many of these <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">same<\/span><\/em> officials. Our religion\u2014Catholicism\u2014is genuinely heroic because its founder, Jesus Christ, is genuinely heroic in choosing the path of redemptive suffering to save souls, despite his own personal humiliation and pain. The idea that diocesan officials can present themselves as spiritual leaders without the least bit of personal sacrifice, <em><mark style=\"background-color:#e6e6e6\" class=\"has-inline-color\">without even having to admit their guilt<\/mark><\/em> (as we read in the state settlement) is working fraud. <strong>These are corporatists. <\/strong>They know how to use lawyers to manipulate the the system for their personal protection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who can argue that these are company players who devise endless programs, surveys, listening sessions and legal groupings (\u201cfamilies of parishes\u201d)&#8211;all to spiritually manipulate laity into believing their corporate engineering is somehow derived from the Holy Spirit. How can it be of the Spirit if&nbsp;it is completely void of any semblance of <strong>sacrifice<\/strong> on the corporatists&#8217; part? <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6895\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/laydob.com\/?attachment_id=6895\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/StAnnClosure.png?fit=1125%2C1267&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1125,1267\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"StAnnClosure\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/StAnnClosure.png?fit=825%2C929&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/StAnnClosure.png?resize=561%2C632&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6895\" width=\"561\" height=\"632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/StAnnClosure.png?resize=909%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 909w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/StAnnClosure.png?resize=266%2C300&amp;ssl=1 266w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/StAnnClosure.png?resize=768%2C865&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/StAnnClosure.png?w=1125&amp;ssl=1 1125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 561px) 100vw, 561px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot from Facebook page of Western New York Catholic November 18, 2022. Latest church sold by the diocese. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This diocesan hierarchy is clearly predicated on power, if we read the deals struck in the settlement correctly. That is a psychosis. And that psychosis is now enshrined in that legal settlement. Jesus\u2019 hierarchy was predicated on <em>love<\/em> which is primarily recognizable by sacrifice\u2014gritty, personal sacrifice. Ask any parent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While officials gaslight us with their stale jargon surrounding \u201crenewal,\u201d squeezing the system into a new paradigm of what it means to be Church, they should instead busy themselves with exploiting the treasures of Catholic teaching that would release <em>all<\/em> of us from this unholy catastrophe. The whole point of redemptive suffering is, after all, to set souls free. So may we laity suggest to our diocesan officials and retired bishops that they follow the very admonishments they meet out to us in their preaching and in their counseling in the confessional? With all due respect and for the benefit of your souls:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Publicly own up to your failures in this crisis&#8211;each and every one of you, especially those listed in the lawsuit detailing your malfeasance. Cease hiding behind corporate apologies from your bishops.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Beg forgiveness from the people you harmed and\/or allowed to be harmed; from the laity you put in harms way; from laity whose generous treasure you squandered; from families devastated by the filth to which you turned a blind eye.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Beg forgiveness from our merciful God for your unfaithfulness to the office to which he called you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Accept the resulting suffering and humiliation as penance for the salvation of souls including your own. Whistleblowers and many survivors are already intentionally doing this. Join them. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Voluntarily forfeit your titles of office, your executive seat and diocesan honors if your bishop won&#8217;t dismiss you from them as he morally should.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make an honest confession with Saint Peter&#8217;s level of contrition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take a voluntary cut in pay the rest of your life and donate that portion to survivor counseling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pray like you\u2019ve never prayed before for the rest of your life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Creating a system designed to make we laity bear the weight of \u201crenewal\u201d by closing our churches and schools as we pay all the bills is objectively evil. <strong>It is time for officials to bear the weight of diocesan renewal.<\/strong> We laity have already paid with our sons and daughters, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/laydob.com\/fr-ryszard-interviews\/\" target=\"_blank\">our seminarians<\/a>, our devastated families.&nbsp;We have paid with our treasure building up churches and schools, crisis relief centers and hospitals over 175 years&#8211;a patrimony our diocesan officials have squandered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No amount of money, no legal team can protect you from what awaits your immortal souls. Still not convinced?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fr Andrew Small, the recently appointed secretary for the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pillarcatholic.com\/r\/99b19d83?m=35489233-c0a7-4b4d-838d-52ca83e7632f\" target=\"_blank\">owned up to the pernicious evil<\/a> propagated by diocesan officials&#8211; just like ours who were highlighted in the state lawsuit. Fr. Small pointed out the horror of additional suffering born by survivors at the hands of the very diocesan officials who were expected to provide consolation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCompounding the harm [of clergy sexual abuse] \u2026is the fact that many victims\/survivors were rejected in their suffering by the very Church that held itself out as a place of healing for those wounded by the world. However, rather than comfort the afflicted by sexual abuse by the Church, too often the Church continued to harm those afflicted&#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Contrast that abusive behavior of diocesan officials with the words of Saint Paul who taught: \u201cindeed, as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so, through Christ, does our consolation overflow [to others]. When we are made to suffer, it is for our consolation and salvation\u201d (2 Cor. 1:5, 6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Frightening thought for anyone to have to face Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment with that omission [withholding consolation] on their soul. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6925\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/laydob.com\/?attachment_id=6925\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_7210-1.jpg?fit=946%2C1812&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"946,1812\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 13 mini&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1661702552&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5.1&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_7210-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_7210-1.jpg?fit=535%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_7210-1.jpg?resize=192%2C368&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6925\" width=\"192\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_7210-1.jpg?resize=535%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 535w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_7210-1.jpg?resize=157%2C300&amp;ssl=1 157w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_7210-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1471&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_7210-1.jpg?resize=802%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 802w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_7210-1.jpg?w=946&amp;ssl=1 946w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 192px) 100vw, 192px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bishop Michael Fisher at Diocesan Renewal Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Olean&#8211;Aug 28, 2022. Bishops wear shades of red for a reason.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a diocesan \u201cRenewal Mass\u201d held in Olean in August at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, Bishop Michael Fisher preached about our need to &#8220;include everyone at the table.&#8221; He also preached to us about looking to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as \u201cundoer of knots\u201d&#8211;figurative challenges that prevent diocesan renewal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe need for renewal means that we must acknowledge the challenges and knots of imperfection that plague our diocese,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I said to him outside after Mass, &#8220;Some knots are solely under your authority, not Mary\u2019s, to loosen.&#8221; With all due respect, I listed them for him: end these obscene legal fees; reinstate a whistleblower priest who was <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;ved=2ahUKEwid-vm3kb77AhV2pYQIHfDjBTMQFnoECAoQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wkbw.com%2Fnews%2Fi-team%2Fthe-malone-recordings%2Fbuffalo-bishops-silenced-fr-ryszard-about-alleged-sex-assault&amp;usg=AOvVaw0KVCZfC4DDwwkasbXw_6w-\" target=\"_blank\">also a victim of clergy sexual abuse <\/a>(include him at that table you preached about); release files that survivors have asked for pertaining to their cases. &#8220;Those knots, bishop, are in your hands.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Redemptive suffering benefits every man, woman, and child in the Mystical Body of Christ. It is designed to edify and console, two stubborn knots still on those little cords all the parishes are supposed to display for we laity to pray over. We laity still left in the pews ARE praying. Don&#8217;t ever question that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, diocesan officials working in the chancery building in downtown Buffalo may want to make sure the door to this closet pictured below is kept closed, especially when visitors are around. As you can see, it is strewn with discarded sacred art and furnishings, presumably from closed parishes throughout the Diocese of Buffalo. I took this photo on May 24, 2022 <em>ironically<\/em> on the evening of a diocesan listening session contributing to the Vatican&#8217;s Synod on Synodality. This closet door was left open for all to see as visitors passed by on the way to the restrooms. Along with the knotted ropes so emblematic of our crisis, may we suggest this photo too be placed in every diocesan parish for our prayer and reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"825\" height=\"619\" data-attachment-id=\"6892\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/laydob.com\/?attachment_id=6892\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?fit=4032%2C3024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4032,3024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 13 mini&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1653412987&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5.1&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;160&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_6369\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?fit=825%2C619&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=825%2C619&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6892\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?w=1650&amp;ssl=1 1650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369.jpeg?w=2475&amp;ssl=1 2475w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Audio available read by author] Our bishops (past and present) are spending millions of dollars to get the best attorneys money can buy so they can avoid accountability (suffering). While this latest lawsuit settlement provides a theater piece towards diocesan \u201crenewal,\u201d in reality the deals cut with the bishops cheapen the human suffering that they helped perpetuate\u2014ruined lives, suicides, destruction of faith and loss of souls amidst the clergy sex abuse crisis. This is not how Christ the King taught his apostles to lead. [Click headline to continue reading]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7295316,"featured_media":6902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"Our bishops (past and present) are spending millions of dollars to get the best attorneys money can buy so they can avoid accountability (suffering). While this latest lawsuit settlement provides a theater piece towards diocesan \u201crenewal,\u201d in reality the deals cut with the bishops cheapen the human suffering that they helped perpetuate\u2014ruined lives, suicides, destruction of faith and loss of souls amidst the clergy sex abuse crisis. This is not how Christ the King taught his apostles to lead. ","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[691052666,691052677,691052702],"tags":[691052667,123451347,2878280],"class_list":["post-6890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accountability-is-mercy","category-disturbing-actions-of-the-bishop-of-buffalo","category-whistleblowers","tag-bishop-michael-fisher","tag-catholic-diocese-of-buffalo","tag-clergy-sexual-abuse","without-featured-image"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb24kG-1N8","amp_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/laydob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_6369-2.jpeg?fit=4032%2C1720&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7295316"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6890"}],"version-history":[{"count":100,"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7025,"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6890\/revisions\/7025"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laydob.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}