By Gary Soulsman
The News Journal
July 8, 2008
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080708/NEWS/807080344
At Baltimore archdiocese, Malooly was one of first in U.S. to name priests accused of abuse
W. Francis Malooly, a Baltimore-born man big on pastoral care, will take over as the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, a diocese that has seen tremendous growth in the past 10 years but is still dealing with the priest sexual abuse scandal and school closings.
Malooly, 64, an auxiliary bishop with the Archdiocese of Baltimore, will take office in September. He was introduced Monday, taking questions from the press in the parish hall of St. Ann's Catholic Church in Wilmington.
He sat next to Bishop Michael Saltarelli, 75, the man he'll replace. On his birthday, Jan. 17, Saltarelli reached the age of retirement for Catholic bishops. He's led the diocese for 12 years and will continue as administrator until Malooly's installation on Sept. 8 at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church in the city.
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| Retiring Bishop Michael Saltarelli (left) gestures as his successor, the Most Rev. W. Francis Malooly, speaks to the press at St. Ann's Church. |
Monday's news conference was scheduled to follow Pope Benedict XVI's announcement in Rome of Malooly's appointment.
"Bishop Saltarelli has been a wonderful friend," Malooly said, adding that this is a great opportunity because the diocese of 230,000 Catholics in Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore has been well run.
And whatever problems remain, Saltarelli will fix them in the next two months, Malooly joked.
The diocese has increased by 64,000 people in 10 years, added three new schools and several new churches in fast-growing suburbs, expanded its Hispanic ministry, and ordained more than 20 priests.
The diocese is generally admired, said Rocco Palmo of Philadelphia, author of the blog Whispers in the Loggia, which reports on worldwide Catholic matters.
At the same time, the diocese has been buffeted by the priest sexual-abuse scandals and forced to close schools where attendance has declined.
"I intend to remain here, with the permission of Bishop Malooly, and to continue to be available as needed," Saltarelli said.
Malooly said he would take his friend up on the offer and that after his installation, the 58 parishes will have the service of two bishops. He said he did not bring any expertise but compared himself to a conductor orchestrating musicians.
"I love ministering with and to people and I'm happy about what I do," Malooly said. "We can't draw people to the church if we are not happy about what we do."
Monsignor Art Valenzano, pastor St. John Catholic Church, northwest of Baltimore, said the new bishop is known as a compassionate and capable administrator.
"He's solid on faith, an excellent listener always in dialogue and a good leader with a clear vision, knowing where he wants to go," said Valenzano.
He added that Monday was a bittersweet day for the more than 500,000 Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
"We're happy for Bishop Molooly and we're really going to miss him," Valenzano said.
On Sunday, word of an impending announcement spread among priests in the diocese. The Rev. John Hopkins of St. Margaret of Scotland in Glasgow said he talked with two priests in western Maryland who told him Malooly is widely respected.
And, he said, there's a lot of discussion about his open, down-to-earth manner.
"It's a moment of great excitement and expectation in the diocese," said Rev. Tom Flowers of St. Polycarp in Smyrna.
At such a time, every Catholic has an issue they want addressed, he said. For some, it's a higher profile abortion opposition. For others it's a look at how parishes are staffed and whether schools and parishes are growing.
For others, it's a renewed focus on the sexual abuse crisis and compassion for victims, several of whom have sued the diocese in recent months.
In 2002, Malooly helped steer the Archdiocese of Baltimore to publish the names of priests accused of sexual abuse.
"We need to say we are sorry and we feel your pain and understand that you are wounded," said Flowers. "And we need to keep saying it."
Overall, he said, the diocese is compact and relatively easy to traverse. But in a setting of such intimacy, people expect to get to know know the bishop. And there will be many pressures on him to be seen.
"My priority is for a man of great spiritual wisdom and courage," Flowers said. "He'll need that in abundance."
On the matter of sexual abuse, Malooly said he will meet with anyone who wants to discuss the issue, knowing it won't be easy.
Still it must to be addressed. And he's done that since 1984, the year he was named director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
"It's an insidious, horrible crime," and nothing makes it right, he said.
However, his No. 1 priority is spreading the gospel. If that's successful, many issues fall into place -- such as schools and help with tuition, which he wants to strengthen.
"The best thing I will bring, in seriousness, is I love being a priest -- always have," he said.
Contact Gary Soulsman at 324-2893 or gsoulsman@delawareonline.com.
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