The Vatican has exonerated Bishop Joseph H. Hart, emeritus of Cheyenne, Wyoming, on seven counts of child sexual abuse. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handled the canonical process, also said five other accusations “could not be proven with moral certitude.” The accusations against the 89-year-old Bishop Hart involved 11 victims who … Read more
Wyoming’s top Catholic official said Thursday that he continues to believe the alleged victim of retired bishop Joseph Hart was credible and that Hart had abused the man, despite a Casper prosecutor’s decision not to charge the cleric. “This decision not to pursue a criminal case does not mean that the victims are not credible,” … Read more
Last August, Cheyenne police recommended Hart be charged with sexual abuse. Retired Catholic bishop Joseph Hart will not face criminal prosecution over an allegation that he sexually abused at least one boy in the 1970s, the alleged victim in the case told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday. It’s the second time the former cleric, who has … Read more
The criminal investigation into sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy in Wyoming passed its second birthday in April, a prolonged process with no end in sight that has “shattered” an alleged victim’s family’s belief in the criminal justice system. In August, Cheyenne police recommended that retired bishop Joseph Hart, the highest-ranking member of … Read more
The Diocese of Cheyenne announced Tuesday it has found credible and substantiated three allegations of child sexual abuse against Emeritus Bishop Joseph Hart, which it had received since July and August 2018. The alleged incidents newly found credible occurred in the 1970s and ’80s. “The results of the investigation were given to the Diocesan Review … Read more
Current Role Bishop Emeritus of Cheyenne, Wyoming Web Site: http://www.dioceseofcheyenne.org/ Mailing Address: Chancery Office, 2121 Capitol Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001; P.O. Box 1468, Cheyenne, WY 82003-1468 Telephone: (307)638-1530 What Has Been Reported Accused of numerous cases of sexual abuse.
As parishioners attended the Feast of the Assumption Mass inside Guardian Angels Catholic Church on August 15, members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) gathered outside on the sidewalk for a press conference marking an occasion that many believed would never come. Less than 24 hours earlier, police in Cheyenne, Wyoming … Read more
Four new sex abuse allegations have been raised against Emeritus Bishop Joseph Hart, spanning his time both as a priest in Missouri and a bishop in Wyoming. Jack Smith, a spokesman for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, said the allegations were brought forward by either the alleged victims or their family members, the Casper … Read more
A former Catholic bishop is facing multiple allegations of sexual abuse of boys during his career, including 25 years in Wyoming. The Casper Star-Tribune reports at least three Wyoming men say former Bishop Joseph Hart abused them while he worked in the Diocese of Cheyenne. A spokesman for the Kansas City, Missouri, diocese says it … Read more
At a time when the U.S. Catholic bishops are meeting to vote on new measures for bishop accountability, Pope Francis has given the green light for a penal process for a retired U.S. bishop accused of multiple accounts of abuse. Bishop Steven Biegler of Cheyenne, Wyoming announced on Wednesday that the case of Bishop Joseph … Read more