Edward Bernard Scharfenberger (born May 29, 1948) is an American prelate from the state of New York who has served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany since 2014.

Scharfenberger continued his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1972 .

[5] Scharfenberger received his priestly ordination on July 2, 1973, in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome by Bishop James Hickey, rector of the North American College.

[10] He was consecrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan on April 10, 2014, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, with Bishops Howard Hubbard, and Nicholas DiMarzio acting as co-consecrators.

At the time, the diocese faced hundreds of legal claims from persons alleging that they had been victims of child sexual abuse.

In February 2017, Scharfenberger criticized three Catholic politicians, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, State Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy and US Congressman Paul Tonko, for supporting and attending a rally for Planned Parenthood.

[16] In January 2019, Scharfenberger wrote an open letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in response to the passage of the Reproductive Health Act: I shudder to think of the consequences this law will wreak.

[22] On December 4, 2019, Francis appointed Scharfenberger as apostolic administrator of Diocese of Buffalo in New York, following the resignation of Bishop Richard Malone.

[24] The New York Times reported that in recent years, Scharfenberger had "gained a reputation for taking a more empathetic approach in his handling of the abuse crisis."