Pope Francis has stated that there are not sufficient grounds to open a Church-led investigation into accusations of sexual abuse waged against Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
According to the Vatican's statement, the accuser, referred to only as “F,” had not made an accusation that would provide the basis for such an investigation.
The Canadian Cardinal is accused of inappropriately touching and massaging a female intern while he was Archbishop of Quebec.
He is one of 88 members of the clergy named in a class action lawsuit against the archdiocese of Quebec regarding allegations of sexual assault.
Cardinal Ouellet has long been considered a member of Pope Francis' inner circle. Since 2010, he has been prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops: the Vatican department responsible for selecting new bishops.
And as one of two Rome-based Canadian members of the curia, he also traveled with Pope Francis on his most recent trip to Canada.
JM
