Pa. coroner to release cause of Bevilacqua’s death

A coroner is set to release the results of a probe into the death of Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, the former leader of the Philadelphia archdiocese who died Jan. 31 at a suburban seminary.

Officials say the 88-year-old Bevilacqua, who served as archbishop from 1988 to 2003, was suffering from dementia and cancer. Prosecutors asked the coroner to investigate due to the timing of the death, a day after a judge ruled Bevilacqua competent to testify at the trial of his longtime aide.
Montgomery County Coroner Walter Hofman says in a statement he will release the cause of death at a news conference Thursday. A message left with prosecutors was not immediately returned.

A judge ruled Bevilacqua competent to testify at the child endangerment trial of Monsignor William Lynn, who is accused of transferring priests suspected of molesting children to unwitting parishes.