After a battle with an undisclosed form of cancer and dementia, Retired Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua died Tuesday in his sleep at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in the Philadelphia suburb of Wynnewood. Bevilacqua served as head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for more than 15 years. Prior to taking that post he was the bishop of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese from 1983-87.
Bevilacqua was criticized but never charged by two grand juries investigating child sex abuse allegation in the Roman Catholic Church. His death comes just days after lawyers battled in court over his competency as a potential witness in the upcoming trial of a longtime aide.
A victims group, SNAP, says Bevilacqua's death means "we will never learn the full truth about clergy sex crimes and cover-ups."
Portions Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
