Marc Ouellet has officially resigned for “reason of age”.
The Canadian cardinal, who holds one of the most important functions of the Vatican government and who is accused of sexual assault, resigned on Monday, the Vatican announced.
Pope Francis has accepted "the renunciation, due to the age limit, of his eminence, Cardinal Marc Ouellet", indicates a press release from the Vatican.
His successor, the American Robert Francis Prevost, will take office on April 12.
In August 2022, the 78-year-old cardinal, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, was accused of inappropriate touching of an intern between 2008 and 2010 when he was archbishop of Quebec, according to a document resulting from the collective action authorized by the Superior Court of the French-speaking province.
Defamation complaint
Bishop Ouellet had "firmly denied" these "defamatory" accusations, saying he was ready to participate in a trial to prove "his innocence".
Pope Francis then considered that there were “insufficient elements to open a [religious] investigation” in this file.
And in December, Bishop Ouellet had indicated that he was filing a complaint for defamation against the woman accusing him of sexual assault.
The diocese of Quebec also confirmed on Monday the existence of a second complaint against the cardinal filed by a woman in 2020, a complaint revealed two weeks ago by the weekly Golias.
Marc Ouellet was cited among the favorites of the last conclave at the end of which the Argentinian cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013.
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