KANSAS CITY (MO)
Kansas City Star
October 22, 2018
We have known for some time that sex abuse wrecks lives, and families. The damage done doesn’t dissipate over time, either, but stretches across generations.
So it’s a bigger deal than it should be that Catholic Bishop Steven Biegler of the Diocese of Cheyenne is trying something new: He’s forced both a police and Vatican reexamination of credible abuse allegations against one of his predecessors, 87-year-old Bishop Joseph Hart, who is from Kansas City and worked in several parishes and the chancery here. Unfortunately, this is unheard of.
Over the years, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph settled 10 such claims against Hart. Now, the retired bishop stands accused of multiple acts of sexual abuse deemed credible by both the Missouri and Wyoming dioceses where he spent his career.
If you’re wondering what good could possibly come of investigating an old man, plenty of good already has come of it, as The Star detailed in a story.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.