Cardinal accused of sex assault retires from Vatican job
Marc Ouellet, a powerful Canadian cardinal who was twice accused of sexual assault cases, will retire on April 12, the Vatican’s news service announced Monday, Jan. 30.
Age was given as the reason for his retirement and the Vatican did not mention the allegations against Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
According to the news service, Pope Francis accepted Ouellet’s resignation when he reached the 75-year-old age limit for cardinals. Ouellet (78) reached the limit in a few years back — however, several other heads of important Vatican departments have also reached that age, according to the Independent National Catholic Reporter.
Ouellet, who strongly denied the allegations against him, has resigned as head of Vatican’s Dicastery or the department for bishops.
Canadian archbishop of Quebec, once considered a strong candidate for the pope’s office, was accused of sexually abusing a female intern between 2008 and 2010.
In August, he was identified in court documents relating to a lawsuit against more than 80 clergy members in the archdiocese Quebec.
In December, Ouellet said he had filed a defamation suit against the woman who accused him, “to restore my reputation”.
He is also facing a second complaint made by a woman in 2020, first revealed by French weekly Golias earlier this month and confirmed by the Quebec diocese on Monday.
The complaint was forwarded to the Vatican, a spokesperson for the diocese told AFP.
As prefect, Ouellet headed up the Vatican office that suggests bishop appointments to the pope. He will be replaced by US bishop Robert Francis Prevost.
