A Vatican tribunal has cleared a Los Angeles priest of sex-abuse charges, restoring him to active ministry after a suspension that lasted more than a decade.

Msgr. Richard Loomis had been removed from ministry after an allegation against him was raised in 2003, involving incidents that allegedly took place between 1968 and 1971. The archdiocese announced that an “exhaustive investigation” followed by a canonical trial concluded that “no allegations of sɛҳuąƖ misconduct of any kind alleged against Monsignor Richard Loomis have been proven.”

Msgr. Loomis had always asserted his innocence of the abuse charges. But the Los Angeles archdiocese reached an out-of-court settlement of one complaint against him in 2007, as part of an agreement covering hundreds of alleged abuse victims.

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=23195

Sorry if I sound callous but there needs to be a statute of limitations on these and any sort of allegations.  Investigating offences that supposedly took place 40 years ago is insane.

SNAP has advocated to have the statues of limitation lifted. I believe they have been successful in several states.  

Why not?  The church has been paying even when there wasn't clear evidence of abuse.