A Catholic priest from the Diocese of Buffalo has been lavished with praise for blowing the whistle on diocesan officials who mishandled reports of clergy sexual abuse. Yet in his own diocese, he is shunned and banned from ministry.

Dec. 3 marks the two-year anniversary of the Rev. Ryszard Biernat’s removal from active ministry – a retaliatory move imposed by Bishop Richard Malone, and sanctioned by his successor, Bishop Michael Fisher, who stubbornly refuses to reinstate Father Biernat.

Another Voice: Status of whistleblower priest invalidates diocese's claim of 'renewal'

Let's review what happened two years ago. As vice chancellor of the diocese for seven years, Biernat was in a unique position to witness his bishop (Malone) betraying the responsibility of his office in handling clergy sexual abuse reports. As we read in the state attorney general's 2020 lawsuit against diocesan bishops, Biernat's concerns were not unwarranted.