Canadian cardinal temporarily resigns after lawsuit over abuse allegations By Reuters

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Gerald Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec, attends a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Prime Minister’s office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, November 6, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Cardinal Gerald Lacroix, one of Canada’s top Roman Catholic clerics, temporarily resigned on Friday after being named in a class-action lawsuit against the church over sexual assault allegations.

Local media reported that Lacroix’s name was added to the list of perpetrators submitted to a Quebec court on Thursday.

The Diocese of Quebec said in a statement that Lacroix, 66, had told colleagues he would temporarily suspend his activities until the situation became clear.

He continued, “He is completely denying the charges against him.” The lawsuit, approved by the court in 2022, represents more than 100 people who say they were sexually abused by 88 priests and staff members working in Quebec dioceses since 1940.

Also named was Marc Ouellet, a Canadian former Vatican cardinal who stepped down from his position last year. Last December, Ouellet, 79, said he was sued by a woman who accused him of sexual assault more than a decade ago, when he was archbishop of Quebec.

The lawsuit names priests who served in dioceses and educational institutions, including Quebec seminaries. Most of those whose names are known are dead.