MONTREAL 鈥� The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Quebec City confirmed Friday that it had received a second complaint from a woman alleging sexual misconduct by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the former archbishop in the Quebec capital.
A letter dated June 23, 2021, from Cardinal G茅rald Lacroix, the current Quebec City archbishop, informs the woman that allegations she had made several months earlier were 鈥渄irectly transmitted鈥� to Pope Francis, who ordered an internal investigation that ultimately rejected the complaint against Ouellet.
In the letter, Lacroix explains that a preliminary investigation was carried out without the participation of the Quebec archdiocese, in accordance with the procedure established by the Pope in 2019 to evaluate claims of abuse or misconduct. The letter adds that witness statements were collected in Quebec and in Rome.
鈥淧ope Francis communicated to me ... his decision not to retain the accusation against the cardinal," Lacroix writes. He ends the letter by telling the woman that he is asking the Virgin Mary to protect her.
The letter was published this week by the French Catholic weekly Golias Hebdo, with the woman鈥檚 name redacted. It does not include details of the allegations, beyond saying they involved "sexual misconduct."
Val茅rie Roberge-Dion, a spokesperson for the archdiocese, confirmed Friday that the letter is authentic.
鈥淎s soon as Cardinal G茅rald C. Lacroix received this complaint, it was immediately forwarded to Cardinal Ouellet鈥檚 immediate superior, Pope Francis," she said in an email. "From that point on, the investigation was entirely directed by the supreme authority."
Last week, another woman alleging sexual misconduct by Ouellet, who is now head of the Vatican鈥檚 bishops鈥� office, revealed her identity and accused the Catholic Church of trying to silence her through 鈥渢hreats and intimidation.鈥澛�
Pam茅la Groleau, who along with 139 other complainants is part of a class-action lawsuit filed in August against the Quebec City archdiocese, said she initially kept her identity secret to protect her family, her job and her mental health.
In the lawsuit, Groleau accused Ouellet of several incidents of sexual assault between 2008 鈥� when she was 23 鈥� and 2010, including sliding his hand down her back and touching her buttocks at an event in Quebec City.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and Ouellet last month countersued Groleau in Quebec Superior Court for defamation, denying the allegations and seeking $100,000 in damages.
In his countersuit, Ouellet said he has no recollection of ever meeting Groleau. 鈥淗e does not know her,鈥� the lawsuit says. In a statement on the Vatican 撸奶社区 website in December, he said he was suing her 鈥渋n order to prove the falsity of the allegations鈥� and to restore his reputation and honour.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2023.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press 撸奶社区 Fellowship.
Marisela Amador, The Canadian Press
