What desolation is this news of Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who has catapulted himself from his village of La Motte in Abitibi as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops to the head of the Catholic Church in Rome! He is clearly responsible for appointing bishops around the world.
This Quebecer was even shortlisted to become pope at the last conclave that elected Pope Francis and with whom he is close friends.
This powerful Church man now finds himself among dozens of Quebec priests, including several pedophiles, who have been denounced in a collective action against the Diocese of Quebec.
The cardinal faces no criminal charges. The young minister who denounced the cardinal describes massages, back stroking “to the bottom” and inappropriate comments such as “We can kiss now as if we know each other, it’s a little pleasure”.
Touch
In fact, this young woman, who was 23 years old in 2008, froze before the touches practiced by “His Eminence”, which we understand he felt over her clothes. Her discomfort prompted her to later discuss this unspeakable surgery with her colleagues.
Twelve years later, while receiving training on sexual assault, the young woman named the gestures — church raps — she suffered.
Let’s remember that Cardinal Ouellet never expressed the slightest reservation about the Church’s sexual policy. He has always taken an uncompromising stance against any form of abortion. That is, also in the case of a minor who became pregnant after being raped.
The church’s rejection has left Quebecers indifferent to its prohibitions on what were once mortal sex-related sins. But the Church insists and always signs. Priestly celibacy would be a virtue and a necessity. As for pedophilia, practiced for decades by hundreds, if not thousands, of priests, this posed no real problem for the bishops, who were content to send the perpetrators to a new parish. Only recent media revelations about the scandals have forced the Church to change course.
male chauvinism
Despite its strength, universal mission, wealth and ability to assert itself thanks to its diplomatic status, the Church is a ailing institution. Like so many powerful men of his generation, Cardinal Ouellet is steeped in macho culture. Like so many clerics who claim to speak and act in the name of Yahweh, God or Allah.
This man’s world shares a culture that excludes women from the top, limits them, and sanctifies their bodies so that they can better be used for their unspeakable sexual fantasies.
The Catholic Church in Quebec, despite the progressivism shown by some members of the clergy since the Quiet Revolution, is revealing part of its dark past here. The alleged actions of Cardinal Ouellet, the most important figure in Quebec’s church history, this prince of the church, show once again that the clergy should start preaching by example before teaching others.
