How did you learn about the accusation?
I learned about the accusation in France, after the summer vacation in 2022. During August, I had accompanied the Pope on his apostolic trip to Canada, so I was still very much caught up in that great event for all of us. And suddenly, this frightening news broke about a sexual assault against a woman. It was an unheard-of case.
It caused quite a disturbance, but Pope Francis immediately came to my defense. He issued a statement because the Pope knew the state of mind of this woman, whom he had received before, and had determined that there were no grounds for canonical action following this accusation.
So, for Rome, for my ministry, nothing changed. But as far as the civil justice system in my country was concerned, there was still much to be done.
So, the day after the Pope's statement, I issued a statement myself, categorically denying any sexual violence against this woman. And I also mentioned possible legal measures to protect my reputation.
Did that lead you to sue her for defamation?
Yes, but I didn't do it immediately because I wanted to respect the class action, because this accusation was made as part of a class-action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec over sexual abuse committed by priests against minors.
So I didn't know how long that action might last. I waited four months, until December. But when I saw that they were publicizing other cases, involving priests or even bishops, but all concerning the abuse of minors, I saw that my case was being lumped together with pedophilia.
I said, "This is unbearable. I cannot tolerate this." And so I proceeded with the lawsuit. It was December 13, 2022.
How have you experienced these years of legal proceedings?
I think about the whole situation, from beginning to end, which has lasted four years.
Well, yes, I experienced it as a nightmare, a very difficult and costly experience, because I had to hire lawyers to defend myself.
And this had an impact on my reputation, on my moral authority, on my health, and on many other things, including my activities. Because, well, I saw people who had invited me and who no longer knew what to do.
So there were cancellations, precautions, explanations about why I was at a certain event or why I had been invited to give a lecture. I was a controversial person. So all these things were very unpleasant.
And despite the fact that the Pope had defended me, there was still doubt about me, about my moral integrity.
And for this reason, it was necessary, let's say, to try to restore the truth, the truth of what had happened.
That's why the trial also had a therapeutic aspect for me, in the sense that if my honor and reputation could be restored, that would heal at least something.
And it would also protect the credibility of the Church, because I have served the Church as a close collaborator of two Popes, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis.
So I felt morally obliged to take every possible measure to restore the truth concerning this accusation.
I believe that today, with all the cases that have been made public, there is rather a presumption of guilt.
Was your presumption of innocence respected?
And so I felt under this cloud of suspicion, of doubt. When I met people, I didn't know what they really thought deep down, even if they told me, "We don't believe it."
All right, but deep down, you don't know until things can be established with certainty.
And that's why the trial, you were asking me about the trial, took place in March 2026. It lasted eight days and established very clearly that the accusations were unfounded.
And the testimonies that were presented also proved that my behavior as archbishop was the opposite of what had been said and alleged.
So in that sense, it did me good.
I still had to wait another six months before receiving the court's judgment, on August 31, 2026. That's it.
How did you react to winning the case?
I was confident that the outcome could not be different from what had emerged during the trial.
But until the judgment is formally pronounced, you remain waiting.
And in fact, I am very grateful to the civil justice system of my country for this very clear, decisive ruling, which determines that the accusations are false. They are false.
The facts, the alleged acts of assault, were distorted, they were forced, interpreted in a malicious way, as the judge also said. And therefore, this amounts to defamation.
So the court ruled in my favor on every point and ordered the woman to pay the maximum amount.
The amount was only 100,000 dollars. That's not much for the reputation of a man who has held my responsibilities for so many years.
But in any case, it was also clear that I was not seeking financial compensation for what had happened.
Because right from the beginning, I said, "If there is a victory, this money will go toward fighting sexual abuse within the Indigenous communities of Canada."
Why Indigenous victims in Canada?
Because, I mean, the scandal broke immediately after the Pope's trip, whose purpose was to rebuild relations between the Catholic community and the Indigenous communities of Canada.
For four days, the Pope traveled across Canada.
So I had this in mind, and I developed a kind of affection and an awareness of the importance of this trip and of this goal.
And so I told myself that it would help contribute to that purpose.
Can the damage be repaired?
In that regard, no... I'm afraid the damage cannot really be repaired.
But when I think about this, I also think about those who have suffered, the victims of sexual abuse who have suffered more than I have, much more than I have.
And so, even when they are recognized as genuine victims and receive compensation, that does not, does not resolve the problem of their pain, which they have often carried in silence for decades before being able to speak.
So my case is small compared with that suffering.
And for this reason, before God, I pray for all those who suffer more than I do, and also for the perpetrators of these crimes.
What has your fight against sexual abuse involved?
I don't know if I've managed to say this in other interviews, but I began fighting abuse as a priest in 1990, when the case of abuse of minors at Mount Cashel broke in Canada, in Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland.
And so there, I worked with others to develop prevention, that is, to improve formation in seminaries.
This was during the 1990s, up until 2000, that is, long before the major Boston scandal broke in 2002, and later in other places as well.
So I've been developing this awareness for a very long time.
And then, when I was appointed prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, I accompanied the bishops while keeping an eye on this reality, and sometimes taking corrective measures, even severe ones, against bishops in this area.
So you can imagine that when I am personally attacked, this, in a certain way, destroys the pastoral work I have done, as though it takes away my credibility.
But I know very well that we must continue this fight without compromise and without stopping, as Pope Leo XIV urged us recently when he was in Lourdes and met with victims.
What message does your testimony leave?
Well, here, allow me to change the tone and speak from a more spiritual point of view.
I think seminarians or priests must look to Jesus Christ and truly keep their eyes fixed on Him, who is, let's say, worth every risk a person can take in life by committing to the priesthood.
There is obviously a risk that some injustice, some unfair treatment, may be inflicted on someone, once or several times.
But Jesus Christ is worth every risk.
So we do not live out of fear. We live out of love. And that is what must occupy our hearts and minds.
Obviously, these events are also an invitation to prudence and humility, but above all, to live, as we say, following Christ out of love.
Carmen Álvarez Cuadrado
