L.A. archbishop cleared of sex abuse

Mahony issued a statement saying he "welcomes the confirmation .. of his previous denial."

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- California police cleared the leader of the nation's largest Catholic archdiocese Thursday following allegations he sexually molested a young woman more than three decades ago.

The Fresno Police Department announced that it found no evidence Cardinal Roger Mahony, head of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, molested a woman in 1970.

Mahony, one of the church's most outspoken leaders and targets regarding the rash of sexual abuse reports involving the clergy, said in a statement that he "welcomes the confirmation ... of his previous denial."

Mahony apologized at a March 26 mass attended by more than 100 priests and deacons for recently revealed incidents of sexual abuse by the church's clergy across the country.

The cardinal acknowledged police were investigating the allegation following the Mass, although he then refused to discuss details.

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But Mahony finally vehemently denied the charges last Friday. The archbishop said he had never met the accuser and "categorically denied ever having molested anyone."

The woman who made the accusation has asked not to be identified in the media, but she did tell reporters last week she has been diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic.

Having concluded their investigation, Fresno police said "no further action will be taken" against Mahony.

Mahony, L.A. at center of sex abuse scandal

Like many Roman Catholic leaders across the United States, Mahony has been forced in recent weeks to address the wave of sexual abuse allegations and confirmations involving clergy.

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles archdiocese, along with the Diocese of Orange County, agreed to pay $1.2 million to Lori Haigh, who filed a lawsuit alleging the Rev. John Lenihan molested and impregnated her when she was a teenager.

Haigh said that after she became pregnant, Lenihan told her to have an abortion, which she did. "I have never been able to reconcile the fact that the priest who preached on subjects like 'abortion is a mortal sin' was the one who told me to have an abortion," she said Monday.

In the March 26 Mass, Mahony promised to remove anyone accused of impropriety in the 287 parishes he oversees. He said he was "outraged and found it incomprehensible" that priests would harm children.

"We will not knowingly place in any kind of pastoral assignment, ministry or apostolate, any priest, deacon or lay person who has been determined to be guilty of sexual abuse of minors," Mahony said.

In a press conference after the mass, the archbishop said he will support victims who want to break confidentiality agreements they signed as part of settlements with the church for past abuse cases.

Ask about the scandal's effect on the church's reputation, the cardinal said, "Restoring confidence is a long process. And so all we can do is pronounce and proclaim what we're doing and what we intend to do."