Not guilty. But innocent?

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Feb 15, 2008

A Cincinnati priest has been reinstated after a long suspension. He had been accused of raping a boy, but both an Ohio prosecutor and a Vatican panel agreed that the accusations were not credible.

"I believe in Father Larger's innocence and am thankful that the clearing of his name makes possible his return to a ministerial role," Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk said in a statement.

Well now, "innocence" is a strong word. In a separate case, Father Larger had pleaded no contest to charges that he solicited sexual favors from an undercover policeman. A no-contest plea means that the defendant has decide not to contest the charges. It doesn't mean he's guilty, but it sure doesn't mean he's innocent.