An investigation commissioned by Pope Francis into allegations of sexual assault against Canadian Cardinal Gerald Lacroix has concluded with no evidence of wrongdoing, according to the Vatican on Tuesday.
Cardinal Lacroix, the 66-year-old archbishop of Quebec and a member of the Pope’s advisory council, was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the 1980s.
“The judge’s report, after examining the facts, found no actions by Cardinal Gerald C. Lacroix that constitute misconduct or abuse,” the Vatican stated. “As a result, no further canonical procedures are planned.”
The allegations, part of a larger class action suit involving over 100 priests in the archdiocese, date back to 1987 and 1988 when the alleged victim was 17.
Lacroix, who has served as Quebec’s archbishop since 2011 and became a cardinal in 2014, has consistently denied the allegations. In January, he stepped back from his duties pending the investigation but attended a Council of Cardinals meeting at the Vatican last month.
In February, Pope Francis appointed retired judge Andre Denis to investigate the case. Denis, who has previously examined thousands of sexual misconduct allegations against the Church, completed his report on May 6. The findings were then delivered to the Pope, confirming there was insufficient evidence to proceed with a canonical trial.
The Vatican expressed gratitude to Denis for his timely and impartial investigation. Pope Francis authorized Denis to summarize his findings in a public statement, which is yet to be released.
The class action lawsuit in Canada includes testimonies from 147 individuals who claim they were sexually assaulted by more than 100 priests in the archdiocese. Alongside Lacroix, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, another high-profile figure once considered a potential Pope, has also been accused but denies the allegations.
Pope Francis has maintained a strict “zero tolerance” stance on sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. Following numerous scandals, primarily involving minors, he has taken significant actions including defrocking high-ranking clerics like former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick for abuse, establishing an advisory commission for the protection of minors, and mandating the reporting of abuse case.
