MAINE
Portland Press Herald
By TREVOR MAXWELL, Portland Press Herald Writer
The leader of Maine's 235,000 Roman Catholics is recovering at home after emergency surgery on Sunday morning.
Bishop Richard Malone underwent gall bladder surgery at Mercy Hospital in Portland, said Sue Bernard, spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. ...
As bishop, Malone has been front and center during the sexual abuse scandal, which exploded nationwide in 2002 and continues to divide some of the state's Catholics. Malone also has led the reorganization of Maine's 135 parishes, as the number of priests dwindles. His plan consolidates the parishes into 27 clusters, and allows for more power and responsibility among lay ministers.