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American Morning

Priest Charged With Abuse Possible Suicide

Aired May 17, 2002 - 08:27   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We move on to the crisis in the church. Did charges of sexual abuse push a Catholic priest to take his own life? A former assistant pastor, Alfred Bietighofer of Bridgeport, Connecticut apparently hanged himself in his hospital room.

CNN's Jason Carroll joins us now from Bridgeport, where the diocese there is expected to hold a news conference shortly -- good morning, Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Paula.

It is a very sad day for the Catholic Church. Yesterday, the body of Alfred Bietighofer was found in his room at a psychiatric center in Silver Spring, Maryland. He had apparently hanged himself. A nurse there at St. Luke Institute in Maryland was the one who found his body. Bietighofer was 64 years old.

Last month, Bietighofer was stripped of his priestly duties and ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. This after two men told the Diocese of Bridgeport that Bietighofer had abused them when they were boys two decades ago when he was assigned to Blessed Sacrament Church in Bridgeport.

Officials there at St. Luke's said that all incoming patients are screened to determine if they are a psychiatric, to determine if they are a suicide risk. They are extremely saddened, they say, by what has happened to Bietighofer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. STEPHEN ROSETTI, CEO/PRESIDENT, SAINT LUKE INSTITUTE: We are cooperating fully with the civil authorities and they're presently conducting their investigation. It's a very sad time for us to lose a life. We're deeply sorrowful. We commend him to god's mercy. We ask for your prayers for him and for this family and for all of us as we pray together. And we pray for god's mercy for all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Later this morning, officials here at the Catholic Center will be holding a press conference where, Paula, they will be giving us more details surrounding exactly what happened to Bietighofer. But again, a very sad day for those here at the Catholic Church -- Paula.

ZAHN: Jason, is this the first case of a priest actually taking his own life in the wake of sexual abuse claims?

CARROLL: Well, last month in Cleveland, Ohio, a priest there did commit suicide. He shot himself after allegations of abuse had surfaced there. So this would be the second case that we know of -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, Jason Carroll, keep us posted. Thanks for that live shot.

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