Buffalo Catholic Charities: Catholics Giving Less in Light of Abuse Scandal

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (ChurchMilitant.com) - Catholic Charities of Buffalo, New York is having a hard time meeting its fundraising goal of $11 million, and is attributing its lack of funding to Catholics withholding donations owing to the many sex abuse scandals multiplying under the leadership of Bp. Richard Malone.

In a public statement on Thursday, Catholic Charities made known that it was millions of dollars short of its target.

"So people are, rightfully so, people are confused, their (sic) angry, they're upset with the Catholic church," said Dennis Walczyk, president and CEO of the charity.

This statement comes the same day that Malone announced he was reinstating Fr. Joseph Gatto to active ministry — in spite of the diocese recently finding him guilty of homosexual misconduct, including making unwanted sexual advances towars a man he was spiritually counseling.

These are in addition to allegations coming from clerical and nonclerical sources inside the Buffalo diocese who last fall told Church Militant that Gatto used his position as rector at Christ the King Seminary to solicit homosexual favors from new applicants to the seminary.

One case the diocese deemed not credible involved Anthony Ravarini, who alleges he was abused by Fr. Dennis Riter when he was six years old, forced to perform oral sex on the priest in his rectory in April 1992, when Riter was pastor of Queen of All Saints parish in Lackawanna, New York.

In at least one case, a woman was berated by McElroy for daring to ask why he employed a same-sex married man, Aaron Bianco, as pastoral associate at one of his parishes. Instead of answering the questino, McElroy scolded the woman, refusing to answer her question.

Bianco eventually resigned from his position, after months of intense backlash. To this day, McElroy has never explained why he employed and protected an active homosexual in one of his parishes living a life entirely contrary to Catholic teaching.

Watch the panel discuss the ongoing culture of cover-up fostered by Bp. Malone in The Download—Business as Usual in Buffalo.

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