Tag: Bishop Michael Fisher

Accountability IS mercy, Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo, whistleblowers

Bishops buy their way out of moral crisis in the Diocese of Buffalo

Jennifer Kane

[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 “renewal,” in reality the deals cut with the bishops cheapen the human suffering that they helped perpetuate—ruined 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]

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 Bishop Edward Grosz's deliberate coverup of an allegation of clergy sexual abuse, 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]

Accountability IS mercy, Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo

Violation of public trust: Bishop Grosz’s ‘suspension’ mere ‘lip service,’ say outraged clergy sexual abuse survivors

Jennifer Kane

Edward Grosz (left) Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus in the Diocese of Buffalo, concelebrates a funeral Mass on March 7, 2022 while under a very public suspension from engaging in priestly/episcopal ministry, pending a Church investigation into allegations of sexually abusing a minor. Clergy sexual abuse survivors express outrage at Bishop Fisher's tone-deaf public coddling of Grosz. 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.

Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo, Rev. Ryszard Biernat

Rev. Ryszard Biernat speaks to national audience: Disrupting the dioceses’ sexual predatory culture will get you banned from ministry

Jennifer Kane

“Our founder, Jesus Christ, taught us ‘the Truth will set you free.’ Why are we hiding? Why are we lying about the truth?” He projected the harrowing reaction that overcame him when he finally realized, “It’s simply to protect predators like McCarrick, monsters like other predators around. We hide them and shelter them, and that’s the reason for the lie. And it’s so contrary to what we are about in the Church," he said. "If the bishops, the shepherds, are going to such an extent to lie about such horrible things, how do you expect them to care for the faithful, for their souls to be nourished, for salvation, if they lie about and hide and protect child rapists? We need to sometimes wake up and realize, they’re not just lying about McCarrick; they have been lying the last 30 to 40 years about what’s been going on.” (Click title to read more...)

Disturbing actions of the Bishop of Buffalo, Lay Advisory Groups

What the hell is Bishop Mike thinking? Pandering to diocese’s version of “Blue Wall of Silence” won’t “renew” anything

Jennifer Kane

Water down for public consumption a very serious, objectively heinous incident with diocesan priests, and you'll get rewarded by your bishop. Provide a contextual redefinition of gratuitous obscene banter with subordinates and voila! You get to be in charge of renewing a diocese mired in clergy sexual abuse. You can't make this up. But you can listen to this priest talk with the bishop about diocesan "renewal" on May 8 live online.

Lay Advisory Groups

“I want these cardinals and these bishops to put their ass on the line and start protecting their people.”

Jennifer Kane

Speaking truth to power “will likely come at a cost to me personally,” Deacon Paul Snyder wrote to his bishop in 2018. “However, my first loyalty is to my Catholic faith and my Community,” [not the bishop]. These frank words are an important reminder today that merely changing out a single leadership position won’t eradicate the corrupt culture that allowed the clergy sexual abuse crisis to flourish in the Diocese of Buffalo. We need leaders willing to make decisions “at great cost to them personally,” putting their Catholic faith and their Community ahead of their career.