Pope Francis’ decision came after a Jesuit priest’s preliminary investigation into a woman’s allegations of sexual assault against the cardinal more than a decade ago
Vatican News
For Pope Francis, “there are insufficient elements to launch a canonical inquiry into sexual assault by Cardinal Ouellet against Person F.” This is confirmed by Matteo Bruni, director of the Press Office of the Holy See, in a statement on the case of a woman’s allegations against the prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops more than ten years ago, when he was archbishop of Quebec in recent days.
In this case, Bruni said, the Pope entrusted a preliminary investigation to Jesuit Father Jacques Servais, “who concluded that there was no evidence to open a trial against Cardinal Ouellet for sexual assault.”
The Pope – the statement continues – then consulted again Father Servais, who confirmed his position with these words: “There is no reasonable reason to open an investigation into sexual assault inflicted on the person F. by Card. M. Ouellet. Neither in his report written and sent to the Holy Father, still in the testimony via Zoom that I subsequently collected in the presence of a member of the ad hoc diocesan committee, this person made an accusation that could provide material for such an investigation. . Hence the Pope’s decision.