A class-action complaint has identified Canadian Cardinal Gerald Lacroix, a top advisor to Pope Francis, alleging that he sexually assaulted two women in 1987 and 1988. The lawsuit charges Lacroix with repeatedly having intercourse with a young girl without her permission, according to the Wall Street Journal. In an updated lawsuit, the first 2022 lawsuit against the Catholic Archdiocese of Québec now includes 46 victims and over a dozen accused.
According to AFP, the complaint is attorney, Alain Arsenault, said that the defendants "were shielded for a long time" and now feel more comfortable speaking out. According to the legal company, 147 plaintiffs claim that a total of more than 100 priests sexually abused them.
The archdiocese said on Friday that Lacroix, 66, has taken a temporary leave of absence from his position while the investigation is ongoing. The email message reads, "He unequivocally rejects the claims, which he deems as unjustified." "We are still in shock trying to fathom the latest circumstances," an archdiocese spokeswoman said. Since 2011, Lacroix, 66, has served as the archdiocese's leader.
He is a member of the Council for the Economy, which is in charge of financial matters, and the worldwide Council of Cardinals, which counsels the pope on matters of administration.
According to AFP, the complaint is attorney, Alain Arsenault, said that the defendants "were shielded for a long time" and now feel more comfortable speaking out. According to the legal company, 147 plaintiffs claim that a total of more than 100 priests sexually abused them.
The archdiocese said on Friday that Lacroix, 66, has taken a temporary leave of absence from his position while the investigation is ongoing. The email message reads, "He unequivocally rejects the claims, which he deems as unjustified." "We are still in shock trying to fathom the latest circumstances," an archdiocese spokeswoman said. Since 2011, Lacroix, 66, has served as the archdiocese's leader.
He is a member of the Council for the Economy, which is in charge of financial matters, and the worldwide Council of Cardinals, which counsels the pope on matters of administration.
