In February, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo announced that it will cease seminary operations due to low enrollment and costs. This closure reportedly represents just one part of the diocese’s financial issues brought on largely by allegations of clerical abuse.

U.S. News reports that Christ the King Seminary has been losing an average of $500,000 annually for the last decade. Reportedly, this financial situation is not anticipated to improve.

Additionally, enrollment at the seminary is low. U.S. News says that the seminary only has 26 enrollees, representing 10 percent of the seminary’s capacity. Of the 26, 15 seminarians are anticipated to become priests in the Diocese of Buffalo.

Christ the King Seminary will reportedly close at the end of the academic year, though some students have not finished their education. Those who do not graduate in May will have to continue their education elsewhere.

Now, a steering committee has been established to determine how to use the 132-acre campus and buildings, and to find ways to best prepare priests in the future. Albany Bishop Edward Scharfenberger is temporarily leading the diocese and stated that the diocese is “fully committed to attracting, educating, and forming priests for the future needs of our diocese,” despite the seminary’s closure, notes the U.S. News.

U.S. News also explains that Christ the King Seminary was founded in 1857. It was first a part of St. Bonaventure University, but was then separated from the university in 1974, at which point it was moved to East Aurora, N.Y., which remains its current location.  

The closure of the seminary represents just a part of the Diocese of Buffalo’s financial struggles. These difficulties were in part connected to the barrage of sexual abuse lawsuits launched against the diocese after the Roman Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal came to light. 

New York enacted the Child Victims Act to better protect victims of childhood sexual abuse, and, according to CNN, since the law went into effect in August 2019, 220 lawsuits have been filed against the Diocese of Buffalo under it. The law gives child victims of sexual abuse more time to file lawsuits against their abusers, spurring lawsuits against the Catholic Church and other organizations.

The diocese reported that it suffered $5 million in losses in 2019, which likely means that the diocese will have to file for bankruptcy, according to Buffalo News. These losses were primarily due to a downturn in donations during what The Buffalo News calls a scandal over sex abuse.

Some of the clerical abuse allegations launched against the diocese alleged that reports of abuse had been ignored, complaints which are consistent with other critiques of how the Catholic Church has handled allegations of sexual assault around the country. 

Many claims allege that clergy members abuse children in their care, at Catholic schools and in parishes. However, U.S. News reports that clerical abuse allegedly occurred at Christ the King Seminary, as well.

Allegedly, one seminarian reported abuse by a priest at the seminary, only to have his claims ignored. Another withdrew from the seminary, allegedly because of abuse he suffered there and the mishandling of the situation.

In 2019, three priests who worked at the seminary were reportedly suspended because of inappropriate, sexual conversations held by priests with seminarians at a party However, the lawsuits against the Diocese of Buffalo argue that the diocese did not do enough to handle allegations fo sexual abuse in general.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.