Canadian cardinal accused of sexual assault resigns because of his age

First modification: 01/30/2023 – 22:10

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet resigned from his senior Vatican post on Monday, January 30, for reasons of age. Pope Francis has accepted “the resignation, due to age limits, of his eminence, Cardinal Marc Ouellet,” a Vatican statement said.

His successor, the American Robert Francis Prevost, will take office on April 12.

In August 2022, the 78-year-old cardinal, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, was accused of improper touching of an inmate between 2008 and 2010, when he was archbishop of Quebec, according to a document resulting from the class action lawsuit authorized by the Superior Court. from the French-speaking province.

Willing to prove “his innocence”

Archbishop Ouellet had “firmly denied” these “defamatory” accusations, stating that he was willing to participate in a trial to prove “his innocence”.

Pope Francis had then considered that there were “sufficient elements to open a canonical (religious) investigation” in this case.

And in December, Bishop Ouellet said he was going to file a defamation suit against the woman who accused him of sexual assault.

The diocese of Quebec also confirmed on Monday to the AFP news agency the existence of a second complaint against the cardinal filed by a woman in 2020, a complaint revealed a fortnight ago by the weekly Golias.

Marc Ouellet was cited as one of the favorites in the last conclave, which elected Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope in 2013.

*With AFP; adapted from its original French version