Cardinal Gérald Lacroix has been named in a sexual abuse class action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec in Canada.
Newsroom (30/01/2024 08:30, Gaudium Press)) Cardinal Gérald Lacroix is the second Canadian Cardinal to be named in a class action lawsuit against sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Quebec, after similar accusations were made against Cardinal Marc Ouellet in 2022, which were later declared unfounded by a Vatican investigation.
The class action, which is being brought against the Archdiocese of Quebec in order to obtain financial compensation, is a collection of accusations from 147 people who claim to have been victims of sexual assault by members of the clergy or laity of the Archdiocese of Quebec. In all, 100 people are named as abusers.
Alleged victim and allegations against Cardinal Lacroix
“Different versions of the accusations against Cardinal Lacroix are circulating. We are trying to understand them and will comment on them later,” explained Valérie Roberge-Dion, the Cardinal’s spokesperson.
The alleged victim, whose identity has not been revealed, is now around 50 years old. She accuses Cardinal Lacroix of having groped her when she was still a teenager, aged 17, in 1987. The victim’s parents were fervent Catholics and used to attend Bible studies with Cardinal Lacroix.
The episode allegedly took place during one of these meetings, where Lacroix allegedly remained in a separate room with the young woman and touched her inappropriately. The lawyer in charge of the class action, Alain Arsenault, explains that the victim only came forward now because she did not want to upset her parents, who are Catholics and really involved in the Church.
For this reason, the alleged victim’s accusation was made after her mother’s death. The lawyer claims that, at the time, Cardinal Lacroix forbade the young woman to talk about the matter with her parents, otherwise it might “kill her mother” if she were to discover what had happened.
Who is Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix?
Gérald Cyprien Lacroix is a member of the Pius X Secular Institute. He was ordained in 1988 and held positions of responsibility in the community until 2000, when the Institute’s new houses were built. In 2011, he was appointed Archbishop of Quebec to replace Cardinal Ouellet, and in 2014 he was made a cardinal by Pope Francis.
Cardinal Lacroix was a key player in the Holy Father’s last trip to Canada. Recently, Pope Francis chose him to take part in the Council of Cardinals that assists the Pontiff in governing the Catholic Church. Cardinal Lacroix is also a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. (FM)
Compiled by Sandra Chisholm
