Sexual abuse allegations

Fr. Carlos Martins, a Canadian priest, exorcist and co-host of The Exorcist Files podcast, pleaded not guilty Jan. 27 in an Illinois court to a misdemeanor charge of battery over an alleged incident that took place during a national relic tour.

A decades-old sexual assault allegation has entwined the priest who stands accused and a bishop who is now under a Vatican probe for allegedly not taking the complaint seriously.

A lawsuit launched in March has accused Fr. Thomas Rosica, the national director of World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, of sexually assaulting a young priest in the lead up to event.

“I reiterate my innocence,” Quebec City Cardinal Gérald Lacroix says in a six-minute video that the Archdiocese of Quebec released on its YouTube channel.

A preliminary canonical investigation found no evidence of abuse or misconduct committed by Cardinal Gérald Lacroix of Québec, who had been anonymously accused of abuse, the Vatican said.

Joannes Rivoire, the Oblate priest who was accused of sexually assaulting Nunavut children and teenagers, passed away on April 11 at the age of 93 in France, according to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The late Rivoire departed Canada to his native France on Jan. 16, 1993.

Pope Francis has asked a retired Quebec judge to conduct an investigation “into the facts, circumstances and imputability of (an) alleged offense” targeting Quebec Cardinal Gérald Lacroix.

Sexual abuse charges have been withdrawn against a Toronto priest on loan to the Diocese of Peterborough.