Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades
Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Thursday, September 13, 2018
(HARRISBURG, Pa.) - An Indiana Roman Catholic bishop has been cleared of misconduct involving a former jail inmate he counseled while serving as a Pennsylvania priest in the 1990s.
Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades
The prosecutor in Harrisburg said Thursday Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop Kevin Rhoades never engaged in a criminal or otherwise improper relationship with the man.
District Attorney Fran Chardo says "what turned out to be an unfounded report did unnecessary harm."
The Indiana diocese says the findings show why the credibility of accusations needs to be determined before someone's reputation is impugned.
A grand jury report last month found about 300 "predator priests" had abused children at six Pennsylvania dioceses since the late 1940s.
It didn't allege any sexual misconduct by Rhoades. But a cousin of the now-dead former jail inmate contacted authorities with concerns about Rhoades.
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