A decent newscast would have said, "In Maryland today, the Rev. Alfred J. Bietighofer, a 64-year-old Catholic priest accused of the sexual molestation of two young boys, hung himself while an inpatient in a Catholic psychiatric hospital."

That's attention getting.

But ABC radio went soft. Maybe they're nervous that the attacks on the Church may be turning into a witch-hunt.

Their headline told of a Catholic priest who "died."

It wasn't till halfway through the report that you heard that the man committed suicide.

Actually, the priest did hang himself. But there's more.

Rev. Bietighofer hung himself while an inpatient in a Catholic psychiatric hospital. He'd resigned from his Connecticut parish and been stripped of his duties by the bishop after two men accused him of abuse 20 to 30 years ago. He also was ordered to have a psychiatric evaluation at St. Luke's Institute – where he chose to die.

He knew the jackals were after him. Attorney Jason Tremont says eight others have also accused the priest. Their claims are being investigated – not yet proven. Mr. Tremont also represents the two who first accused the priest.

According to the Associated Press, Rev. Bietighofer was dropped from his parish just hours after the two men complained to the bishop.

It's reported the priest told the Connecticut Post that he didn't know anything about the allegations.

As Pilate said, "What is truth?"

This is the second suicide of a priest after allegations of sexual abuse. In Cleveland, 48-year-old Rev. Don Rooney shot and killed himself last month after being accused of molesting a girl.

Last week in Baltimore, Rev. Maurice Blackwell was shot and wounded. The man in custody for the crime says the priest abused him nine years ago.

"What is truth?"

We do know there've been molestations of young people, mostly boys, by priests over the years. How many? Who? When? Where? All questions that need answers – all difficult to prove because of the passage of time and because the "proof" is difficult to find.

But it's there. The investigations into the actions – and inactions – of such people as Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston and Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles have come up with damning evidence.

It's clear these men, and others like them, knew of the sexual proclivities of a number of priests for whom they were responsible. They turned a blind eye, and turned them loose on the people to whom they were responsible.

To cover up criminal and sinful activity, the men in charge betrayed the innocent men, women and children in their parishes.

When I was a child, I had an uncle who ranted and raved about "those money-grubbing priests." He looked at the church as having all the money it needed by getting it from the poor, working slobs who really had to work every day.

At the time, I thought Uncle Tony was just a grouch. Now, I realize there is a lot of truth in what he said.

The priests, bishops, cardinals and the rest of the hierarchy do have it pretty good. They have the honor, the respect and the power. They enforce and make rules. They also dish out punishment and threaten worse in the hereafter. It's easy to abuse that power. Even once is too often.

There appears to have been an unspoken (in public, at least) system: Shut 'em up, pay 'em off and move 'em out. Quiet the accusers by denial and ridicule – or buy their silence. Then, get rid of the problem by shipping the accused molester to another parish where the guilty among them got a whole new selection of victims.

Perpetrators of such criminal cover-ups should spend the rest of their lives in jail. Their religious rank should not protect them.

But what if – what if – some of those accused priests are not guilty? It is possible.

Considering the lives ruined in the accusations of childcare workers that finally were proven false – innocence is not impossible.

Given the headlines and the denunciations of the Church, how would you feel if you were accused, but were innocent? Think you'd stand a chance?

Under those circumstances, you might believe death was better than the earthly hell you'd be destined for, even though suicide violates your religion.

The jackals are circling and rounding up the guilty and the innocent. If we're not careful, we'll have our own inquisition. Maybe we already have.