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Bishop Malone remains silent

Buffalo Catholic Bishop Richard Malone has been silent since the nation heard about an alleged coverup of abuse by priests in the Buffalo Diocese.

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Silence. Buffalo Catholic Bishop Richard Malone has been silent since the nation heard about an alleged coverup of abuse by priests in the Buffalo Diocese.

2 On Your Side has made repeated requests to speak with the Bishop since the 60 Minutes report aired last Sunday. Whistleblower Siobhan O'Connor was the Bishop's former secretary who gave documents to the FBI.

Since she left the Diocese, 2 On Your Side's Claudine Ewing asked about her last conversation with the Bishop and she said, "It was incredibly intense because I knew that he did not know what I was about to do and I also believed that he would not consider that I would be capable of doing it."

On Monday, after going to the Bishop's home and sending messages requesting interviews through the Diocese attorney Terrence Connors and the Diocesan Director of Communications Kathy Spangler, she responded with an email that said "I understand you contacted our office. Do you have questions for us?"

2 On Your Side went to the Catholic Center on Main Street to ask questions, but Spangler was busy.

According to O'Connor, the Bishop had an anti-media bias. "He was acting as though you were attacking the church, liking you to vultures and sharks and I really objected to that because I knew you were going to help us to bring the truth forward."

Ewing asked her to characterize the Bishop, O'Connor said "I think he's afraid now." She also believes others inside the Catholic Center are not speaking up because they are fearful.

"I always found that the Catholic Center had a fear-based mentality when it came to small and large matters," O'Connor said, adding, "there is fear, an understandable fear because that's in many ways unfortunately how the Bishop, that's one of his leadership tactics it's fear."

More: Buffalo Catholic Diocese whistleblower: 'I was willing to do whatever it took to get this story out'

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