After being cleared by the Vatican earlier this week, Quebec Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix addressed the allegations in a video published on Youtube on Thursday.
He announced that he would remain in the background and wants the facts to be clarified.
Archbishop of Quebec City Lacroix was cleared on Tuesday by the Vatican following allegations of sexual touching that were made against him by an anonymous complainant as part of a class action lawsuit brought against the archdiocese from Quebec.
In the video, Lacroix claimed his innocence and said he is grateful to the Pope and the Church for having put in place “mechanisms” to deal with sexual abuse.
He also said that he will remain withdrawn from his public ministry as archbishop of Quebec and will re-evaluate his decision “periodically.”
“Let there be light”
Lacroix invited the anonymous complainant who made allegations against him to file a criminal complaint so that a “proper” trial can take place.
“I reiterate my innocence, but above all I insist on my wish that light be shed completely and completely on the allegations with which I am accused. […] The community has the right to know whether the facts for which I am accused took place or not,” declared Lacroix. “Survivors of sexual abuse deserve that we do what is necessary so that they receive reparations that can help them heal and rebuild.”
The archbishop also urged the complainant to contact the judge mandated by the Vatican, former Superior Court judge André Denis, so that she can share her testimony with him and complete his investigation.
The anonymous complainant, who said she was victim of sexual touching by Lacroix between 1987 and 1988, did not participate in the investigation led by Judge Denis.
The alleged victim’s lawyer Alain Arsenault said on Tuesday that the investigation report from the judge meant “nothing.”
He also indicated that his client had not wished to participate “in the private system of justice of the Vatican and collective action will take its course.”
Lacroix, who has always denied the allegations against him, concluded his video by affirming that the Church takes the issue of sexual abuse seriously and the suffering of victims.
Lacroix is one of the most influential Catholic figures in Canada.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews