Cardinal Ouellet denies allegations of misconduct (CNA)

Cardinal Marc Ouellet has issued a firm denial of “inappropriate acts” in an August 19 public statement.

In a civil suit filed in Quebec, the cardinal is accused by a young woman of unwanted physical contacts. The allegations do not involve actions that would ordinarily be regarded as abusive—let alone criminal. Cardinal Ouellet said that he sees “the interpretation and dissemination of these allegations as sexual assaults defamatory.”

The cardinal’s statement follows a Vatican announcement that no “there are insufficient elements to open a canonical investigation” based on the woman’s charges.