A Canadian cardinal who is a close advisor to Pope Francis on Tuesday personally denied accusations he sexually assaulted a teenage girl in the 1980s, telling his congregation by video he has never behaved inappropriately towards anyone.
Cardinal Gerald Lacroix, the 66-year-old archbishop of Quebec, is facing claims of sexual assault dating back to 1987 and 1988, when the victim was 17, as part of a class action suit against more than 100 priests in the archdiocese.
Lacroix has been Quebec's archbishop since 2011 and a cardinal since 2014. Since last year, he has served on the pontiff's Council of Cardinal Advisors, which meets regularly at the Vatican.
"Never, to my knowledge, have I acted inappropriately towards anyone, whether minors or adults," he said in a video filmed in his office.
"My soul and my conscience are at peace in the face of these accusations which I refute," he said, adding that he has been "very affected by the damage caused by these unfounded allegations."
It marked his first public address since the accusations were levelled last week.
On Friday, the archdiocese said in a statement that Lacroix would temporarily pause his duties. He clarified Tuesday that this was not a resignation but a break taken simply "to allow us to better evaluate next steps to take."
"I know that these accusations have aroused many reactions of astonishment and caused suffering," he said.
The legal action is an updated filing of a case first brought in 2022.
It features testimony from 147 people who claim they were sexually assaulted by more than 100 priests in the archdiocese, some of them high-ranking clergy, according to court documents.
Lacroix said the archdiocese remains supportive of victims of sexual abuse and is "resolutely committed to ensuring that they receive financial compensation."
Pope Francis has made combatting sexual assault in the Catholic Church one of the main missions of his papacy, and insisted on a "zero tolerance" policy following multiple wide-reaching scandals.
Clergy and staff are required to report abuse in their dioceses, but anything revealed in confession is still considered private. Victims' rights activists have demanded better accountability.