Updated: 11:57 a.m., Thursday, July 16, 2020
The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland will have a new bishop in the fall. Bishop Edward Malesic will become the 12 th bishop of the diocese on Sept. 14.
Pope Francis made the announcement at noon in Rome. Malesic replaces Bishop Nelson Perez, who left Cleveland in February to become the Archbishop of Philadelphia.
Perez left a mark on the Cleveland Diocese, Malesic said in a Thursday morning press conference.
鈥淗e focused our attention on the dignity of every human being, and he made deep strides in connecting with our community,鈥� Malesic said. 鈥淥ur church in Cleveland is left with a strong foundation for which I am very grateful.鈥�
The 59-year-old Malesic has been bishop of Greensburg, Pa., since 2015. A native of Harrisburg, Malesic has an Ohio connection: He received his bachelor鈥檚 degree and a master of divinity from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus. He returned to Pennsylvania, where he served in parishes across the state.
鈥淚 am sad to be leaving the Diocese of Greensburg,鈥� Malesic said. 鈥淭his will not be an easy transition for me, but once again I believe that God is asking me to move to a new place. Your prayers will make the transition easier.鈥�
The Cleveland Diocese is full of vibrant, committed people, Malesic said, and is much larger than Greensburg.
鈥淭he Diocese is about five times larger than the diocese I鈥檓 coming from, so be patient with me,鈥� Malesic said. 鈥淭here will be a learning curve. I promise to do my best. I know I will make mistakes, forgive me when I do.鈥�
The coronavirus pandemic creates barriers for making initial connections with the Cleveland community, Malesic said.
鈥淭his is a tough time to come to Cleveland. Normally, I鈥檇 be walking among you, shaking your hands and getting to know each other,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow we鈥檙e distant with each other. Same thing with the clergy, it鈥檚 hard to get together and get to know them right away.鈥�
Malesic hasn鈥檛 yet learned of specific difficulties facing the Cleveland Diocese, he said, but one issue he intends to address is a lack of interest in the Catholic church from young people.
鈥淪ometimes people say, 鈥楾he Church is mean, the Church is corrupt, the Church is this,鈥� and that鈥檚 just not the Church I belong to,鈥� Malesic said. 鈥淚 need to tell them what the Church is, and that they have a role to play.鈥�
Malesic also spoke to a 鈥渃risis of credibility鈥� in Catholicism in the wake of allegations of sexual abuse by priests.
鈥淭he Church does not tolerate people who would abuse a child,鈥� Malesic said. 鈥淎nd priests who do abuse children deserve to be treated like anyone else.鈥�
In 2018, after a list of 鈥減redator priests鈥� in Pennsylvania was made public, Malesic strongly condemned church sexual abuse and apologized for it. The named more than 300 priests who had allegedly committed sexual abuse across six Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania. released days ahead of the report, the Greensburg diocese apologized and voiced its support for abuse survivors. It also released a list of clergy with 鈥渃redible allegations against them.鈥�
In the following days, .
鈥淭hose priests acted as wolves among us even if they were dressed in sheep鈥檚 clothing. I am sorry for that,鈥� he said, according to WESA in Pittsburgh. 鈥淚n fact, honestly, I am extremely angry at them for what they did to you.鈥�
He later created a Safe Environment Advisory Council for the Diocese of Greensburg and a Comprehensive Reconciliation Initiative to compensate and support those who had been abused.
Malesic will be installed at a mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland in September, overseeing a flock of 680,000 Catholics in the diocese.
He will celebrate Mass, which will be live streamed, at noon Thursday at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland.
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