Diocese: Priest Resigns As Pastor After Abuse Complaint

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo says a priest has resigned as pastor of his upstate New York church after a sexual abuse complaint.

The diocese says Buffalo Bishop Richard Malone had asked the Rev. Robert Yetter to resign after learning about an allegation that may have involved a minor.

Yetter has been placed on leave from his church in Swormville east of Buffalo while the diocese investigates. The diocese stresses that there's been no determination yet whether the complaint is true.

Malone on Sunday rejected calls for his own resignation over his handling of sexual abuse allegations against priests, saying: the "shepherd does not desert the flock" in difficult times.

He is appointing a task force to review how sexual abuse claims from adults are handled.