Bevilacqua Died from Natural Causes

My Fox Philly
March 8, 2012

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/bevilacqua-died-from-natural-causes

PHILADELPHIA - Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, the former Archbishop at the center of the Philadelphia clergy child sex-abuse scandal , died of natural causes, the coroner in the case said on Thursday.

Montgomery County Coroner Walter Hofman released the finding at a press conference in Norristown, Pa.

Hofman said heart disease was the primary cause of death and the prostate cancer was a contributing cause. He saw no link between the Cardinal's death and a request that he testify in court in an abuse scandal.

Hofman also said the testing was ordered by District Attorney Risa Ferman.

It was a story first reported on Fox 29, when we broke the news that Hofman was looking into the death of Cardinal Bevilacqua.

The 88-year-old Bevilacqua died on January 31, right after a judge said the former leader of the Philadelphia archdiocese was competent to testify at the Philadelphia child abuse trial that starts later in March.

Bevilacqua was the archbishop of Philadelphia from 1988 to 2003, and he had been living in retirement in Lower Merion.

He was suffering from dementia and cancer.

Hofman investigated the case due to the timing of the death. He ordered an examination of the body to test for toxicology results.