Retired bishop of Albany who is accused of abuse says he is married
The retired bishop of Albany, who is facing allegations that he both covered up and personally committed sexual abuse, announced Tuesday that he married a woman in a civil ceremony.
Bishop Emeritus Howard Hubbard, 84, made headlines last year after he announced that he asked the Vatican if he could return to the lay state, claiming he is not able to function publicly as a priest because of sexual abuse allegations. The Vatican denied his request to return to the lay state in March, he said.
In a statement on Monday, Albany Bishop Edward Scharfenberger said that Hubbard remains a bishop and that his “marriage” is invalid. He added that he is “not permitted to represent himself as a priest or perform the sacraments in public.”
Hubbard said in a statement dated Aug. 1, titled “A Letter to my Dear Colleagues and Friends,” that after his request for laicization was denied, he could no longer wait for the lawsuits filed against him to be resolved.
“I was encouraged to wait patiently and prayerfully and to continue to abstain from public ministry until seven civil lawsuits against me alleging sexual misconduct had been adjudicated,” he said.
He said in his announcement that the Albany Diocese could take several years for the sexual abuse lawsuits it is facing to be adjudicated, which could stretch the process into his 90s.
“In the meantime, I have fallen in love with a wonderful woman who has helped and cared for me and who believes in me. She has been a loving and supportive companion on this journey,” he said.
“After much prayerful reflection, we decided to marry and did so in July in a civil ceremony,” he added.
Hubbard led the Diocese of Albany from 1977 to 2014. In a 2021 article for the Times Union, Hubbard admitted to mishandling sexual abuse allegations against priests while he was bishop, saying that the diocese did not notify law enforcement when certain allegations were made. In addition, Hubbard currently faces a Vatican-ordered investigation into allegations that he committed sexual abuse in 1977, soon after his installation as bishop.
