On Tuesday, the Montreal Archdiocese made public the sixth report submitted by its ombudsperson, Marie Christine Kirouack, eight days earlier. The general tone of the report is more optimistic than it was six months ago.
This sixth report, which analyses, among other things, new complaints of sexual misconduct, also looks cumulatively at all 212 complaints received since she was appointed on May 5, 2021.
The ombudsperson's previous report, unveiled last December, vehemently criticized the poor management and interminable delays in handling certain cases, which had caused complainants to lose confidence in the process.
In this fifth report, Kirouack also pointed to serious breaches of confidentiality and loyalty in the handling of complaints.
The archdiocese's problems also led to the Dec. 7 resignation of Pepita Capriolo, a retired judge of the Superior Court of Quebec, who had been hired in 2019 by the archdiocese to investigate the way in which the organization handled cases of abusive priests.
In her sixth report, the ombudsperson notes progress in the speed of the complaints process. She writes that the suspensions that have been recommended in recent months have been carried out within a short space of time.
Kirouack adds that it is not easy to integrate major changes into an institution that has known its own way of doing things for many decades. She says she believes that a well-functioning ombudsperson system would enable many Catholics to regain confidence in their institution and for those who have abandoned their Church, to return to it.
In a news release issued on Tuesday, Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine highlighted the progress made since the ombudsperson's mandate began just over two years ago. He reiterated that following the report that former Judge Capriolo made public on Nov. 25, 2020, the Catholic Church in Montréal has made a commitment to implement all of his recommendations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 20, 2023.
