A retired Wyoming bishop cleared by Vatican of sexual abuse despite local findings has died at 91

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A former U.S. bishop accused and cleared of child sexual abuse has died. Retired Wyoming Bishop Joseph Hart was 91. The Vatican in 2021 cleared Hart of seven accusations of abuse and determined others couldn’t be proven with certainty. Hart maintained his innocence, but a review board under his successor in Wyoming found that allegations against him were credible. Hart was a priest in Kansas City, Missouri, for 20 years before moving to Wyoming. The first allegations against him dated to the 1960s and were made in the 1980s. More accusations followed in recent years, but Wyoming prosecutors decided not to charge Hart.