Diocese of Buffalo Website
CV NEWS FEED // The Office of the Apostolic Nuncio has issued a response to a group of five Catholics who previously called for the Vatican to remove the current bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo, New York.
According to an Aug. 14 report from WIVB 4, the five Catholics from the Diocese sent a letter in April to Pope Francis and the nuncio, who is the Pope’s representative to the U.S., making the request. The letter, accompanied by several news articles, argued, along with raising other concerns, that the current bishop, Bishop Michael Fisher, is not sufficiently present to those in the Diocese.
WIVB 4 reported that on July 29, Monsignor John Pail Zenollito and G. Pedrera for the Office of the Apostolic Nuncio responded: “Be assured that the above-mentioned documentation, including newspaper articles, has been studied, with the content and concerns duly noted.”
The exchanges between the Office and those in the Diocese come as the Diocese handles its bankruptcy filing and the closure of several parishes and diocesan schools.
As CatholicVote previously reported, several parish families affected by the proposed closures are presenting counter-proposals and arguments this week through the next two about why their parishes should remain open.
According to WIVB 4, Mike Taheri, who spearheaded the letter to the Vatican, said the response from the Nuncio’s Office “makes no mention that he (Bishop Fisher) supports the closing of these churches or the plan that we call, various Catholics call, the Road to Ruin. The Catholic Chancery people call it the road to renewal. We don’t see that road at all.”
WIVB 4 also reported that a diocesean spokesman said the Nuncio’s office sent a communication to the Diocese about the five Catholics’ letter and remains in communication with the Diocese.
Bishop Fisher was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo in December 2020.
