Albany’s bishop, originally from Brooklyn, announces his retirement

Bishop Scharfenberger is pictured before his 2014 ordination as leader of the Albany Diocese.
Photo courtesy of Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany

ALBANY — THE BROOKLYN-BORN BISHOP OF ALBANY’S ROMAN CATHOLICS HAS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT, The Tablet announced on Monday.

Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 20 accepted the resignation of Bishop Edward Scharfenberger, 77, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Albany, where he served since 2014, when Pope Francis named him Bishop of Albany.

Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn by Bishop James Hickey on July 2, 1973, at St. Peter’s Basilica, Scharfenberger in 1995 was named as Prelate of Honor (monsignor). He served as Judicial Vicar for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn from 1993 to 2002, and was a frequent participant in the annual Red Mass for the judiciary and law community. Then-Monsignor Scharfenberger also served in a number of pastoral and administrative positions while in the Brooklyn Diocese. Bishop Scharfenberger has served as a consultor to the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and has served on several committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

A bishop is required to submit his resignation letter to the Pope at age 75, but a pontiff can choose to delay the retirement according to the Church’s needs. Pope Leo XIV was elected Pontiff in May.

✰✰✰