BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Embattled Bishop Richard J. Malone said his visit Friday with Pope Francis was 'wonderful.'
In a phone call with 7 Eyewitness News from Rome, Malone gave no hint that the Vatican would remove or discipline him in light of his controversial handling of sex abuse cases in the Buffalo Diocese.
My phone call with @BishopRJMalone from Rome. Watch @WKBW at 5 and 6 for more context and reaction from abuse survivors. pic.twitter.com/qiqTux5N3v
— Charlie Specht (@Charlie_Reports) November 15, 2019
Chief Investigator Charlie Specht called Malone Friday. Here is a transcript of the conversation:
MALONE: “Hello?”
SPECHT: “Hi, Bishop Malone?”
MALONE: “Yes…”
SPECHT: “Hi, this is Charlie Specht.”
MALONE: “Charlie, how are you?”
SPECHT: “Good, good. Hey, I just wanted to ask how your visit with the Pope went.”
MALONE: “Wonderful. Wonderful. That's all I can tell you. It is all I'll tell you because I don't know what you'll do with it...is that it was a very fraternal and pastoral approach to all of us.”
SPECHT: “We want to put on TV, whatever you have to say about it.”
MALONE: “Well, I'm not right now in a situation where I'm going to be talking about that because I'm involved with some other activities right now. But I saw...I saw a 716 on my phone during a break. So I thought I would take the call. That's all I'm going to do right now, Charlie, but thank you for the call.”
SPECHT: “Okay, thank you.”
