Church officials in Buffalo have updated their lists of accused priests. However, while providing more information, they continue to omit names, not presenting parishioners and the public with the full truth.

Buffalo church officials split hairs when they refuse to list the names of deceased priests who have “only” one allegation against them. If it weren’t for the Church’s history of obfuscating allegations, minimizing knowledge about them, and declining to investigate them in the first place, it is likely that some of those claims would have been corroborated many years ago. We also know that it is often after seeing that someone else has named an abuser that other victims realize they are not alone and come forward too. This has happened in the #MeToo movement, with university abuse scandals, and within the church abuse scandal.

It is notable that this update has occurred only after the Bishop Richard Malone began to be formally investigated by the Vatican. Once again, more information is revealed in Buffalo only after intense, outside pressure has been applied.

So, we hope that New York Attorney General Letitia James is applying that pressure in her investigation into cases of clergy abuse. We urge victims, witnesses, and whistle-blowers who see this news to come forward, make a report to both A.G. James and local police, and help uncover the full truth of what has gone on in Buffalo.

CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, zhiner@snapnetwork.org)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)