Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet appears in Montreal court over a civil defamation case linked to 2022 misconduct allegations he denies.
Newsroom (09/03/2026 Gaudium Press ) Cardinal Marc Ouellet, once regarded as one of the most powerful figures in the Vatican, has appeared in a Montreal court at the start of a civil defamation trial that revisits accusations of sexual misconduct made against him in 2022.
The retired Canadian prelate is seeking 100,000 Canadian dollars in damages from Paméla Groleau, the woman who publicly accused him four years ago during a class-action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec and several members of the clergy.
In legal filings submitted to the Superior Court of Quebec, Ouellet asserts that the allegations have “unjustly damaged” his reputation, honour, and dignity. The trial, which opened on March 2, aims to determine whether Groleau’s claims amounted to defamation under civil law.
Witness Accounts and Early Testimony
The proceedings began with testimony from multiple witnesses who described their recollections of encounters that form the foundation of Groleau’s allegations.
The Rev. Marcel Pellerin told the court he first introduced Groleau to Ouellet in late 2008. He recalled the cardinal taking her hand and leaning in to speak during the introduction. According to Pellerin, Groleau later told him of other moments when she felt uncomfortable with Ouellet’s behavior—saying he embraced her or touched her back. “She recounted other times when the cardinal took her in his arms and put his hand on her back,” Pellerin testified. “These are things she recounted to us more than once.”
Still, Pellerin said he found the claims surprising, adding that such behavior did not correspond with his own experience of the cardinal.
Mixed Impressions From Former Colleagues
Other testimony came from women who had worked closely with Ouellet during his tenure as Archbishop of Quebec. Isabelle Théberge, who once served as communications director for the Archdiocese, described her shock on hearing the allegations. “I was speechless, sad and angry,” she told the court. “He shook hands, looked people in the eye. I felt that he wanted to show people they were important to him.”
Her comments were echoed by other diocesan associates who said Ouellet’s interactions with parishioners were marked by warmth and accessibility. Sister Doris Lamontagne noted that the cardinal typically met between 100,000 and 125,000 people annually during pastoral visits and public events, making gestures such as handshakes and brief touches entirely ordinary in that context. “He was very fraternal in his contacts,” she said.
Michelle Gauthier, recalling a gathering in Beauport, Quebec, in 2008, described a “festive” environment filled with greetings and embraces. “We shake hands, we hug, we take each other by the shoulders,” she testified. “We’ve always had that warm way of meeting each other.”
Background of the Allegations
The accusations against Cardinal Ouellet first came to light in 2022 through a class-action suit that listed misconduct allegations against multiple members of the Quebec clergy. In the legal filing, Groleau claimed that Ouellet slid his hand down her back and touched her buttocks during a diocesan event between 2008 and 2010.
No criminal charges were ever filed against the cardinal. A subsequent Vatican investigation also concluded without disciplinary action after determining there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the claims.
In response, Ouellet launched his own legal case, saying the allegations had inflicted serious harm to his reputation after decades of ecclesiastical service, both in Canada and at the Vatican, where he once oversaw the powerful Congregation for Bishops.
What Comes Next
The trial in Montreal is expected to continue for several more days. Groleau is scheduled to testify, with her lawyer, Alain Arsenault, indicating she will speak directly to the encounters she described as having taken place when Ouellet was Archbishop of Quebec.
As the proceedings unfold, the case remains a striking intersection of personal grievance, institutional accountability, and the lingering public scrutiny surrounding sexual misconduct allegations within Canada’s Catholic Church.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Catholic Herald
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