Quebec Cardinal Gérald Lacroix faces sex assault allegations

A senior leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Quebec is facing allegations of sexual assault as part of a class-action lawsuit against the archdiocese in the provincial capital.

Cardinal Gérald Lacroix’s name is among 15 added to a list of alleged perpetrators filed in Quebec Superior Court on Thursday. The class action brought by the law firm Arsenault Dufresne Wee was authorized by the court in 2022. It covers anyone who was sexually assaulted by clergy or lay personnel who were under the responsibility of the Catholic archdiocese of Quebec City, dating back to 1940.

The allegations against Lacroix, 66, the current archbishop of Quebec City, date back to 1987 and 1988 and involve an alleged victim who was 17 at the time. They allege that sexual touching, fellatio and penetration took place in Quebec City.

The claims have not been tested in court, and the archdiocese was not immediately available to comment.

According to a biography on the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Lacroix was secretary-general of the Quebec City-based Pius X Secular Institute between 1982 and 1987 and also served as director of the affiliated Maison du Renouveau — described as a Christian training and spiritual renewal centre — between 1985 and 1987.

He was ordained in 1988, first as a deacon in Manchester, N.H., and then as a priest in Notre-Dame-de-Recouvrance Church, which falls under the Quebec City archdiocese.

The allegations are part of the same lawsuit that alleged sexual misconduct by Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet between 2008 and 2010. Ouellet has denied the allegations and countersued the woman who made them for defamation. He was later hit with another allegation of sexual misconduct in 2020, which he also denied.

Ouellet, 79, retired last April from a posting at the Vatican where he oversaw the powerful bishops’ office.

The Montreal law firm, which is working with a Quebec City firm on the case, said 147 people have come forward with allegations of sexual assault involving more than 100 priests or lay staff members. Some of those diocese members are alleged to have multiple victims. The law firm noted the number of alleged victims has grown by 46 since August 2022 as the case became publicized.

Lacroix is one of the most powerful Catholic figures in the country. He was appointed archbishop of Quebec in 2011, replacing Ouellet. Pope Francis designated him as cardinal in January 2014.

The law firm said in a statement Thursday the amended list has yet to be approved by court. It is part of a request to file an amended list of defendants in addition to the archdiocese.

The lawsuit was initially filed in 2020 and Quebec Superior Court Justice Bernard Godbout authorized the class action in May 2022.

The law firm said that between 2022 and 2023, negotiations took place in order to attempt to resolve the matter amicably, but those talks ended without an agreement. In its statement, the firm notes the defendants have assets worth $311 million, according to Revenue Canada figures.

The Quebec archdiocese covers greater Quebec City and the neighbouring Chaudiere-Appalaches, Charlevoix and Beauce regions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2024.