If the allegations of a sexual nature against Cardinal Marc Ouellet on Tuesday made such a bombshell in Quebec, the event did not go unnoticed elsewhere in the world.
The story deserves a mention in the August section of Spanish site Diario de Castilla-La Mancha’s Most Surprising News.
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The Spanish magazine Diario de Castilla-La Mancha lists the allegations against Marc Ouellet in its August section with the most surprising news.
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In Italy, where the cardinal lives, the allegations have received little attention from the mainstream media. Gazetta del Sud speaks of “serious allegations against the Canadian cardinal”. IMG Press places the news on its main page. These two media operate on the island of Sicily, 700 km from Rome.
– Listen to Marc-André Leclerc’s interview with Gaétan Bégin on QUB radio:
Cardinal Ouellet also officiated in Colombia. Bogota-based Semana headlines: “A new sex scandal spatters the Vatican”.
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Elsewhere in Latin America, broadcaster Teleamazonas in Ecuador and South American edition Publimetro are reporting the information. And when the Italian agency ANSA ignores the news, its Brazilian branch reports it.
El Pais made it a headline in its international news, both in Spain and in its South American edition.
To Poland
In the United States, Forbes and the Washington Post covered the issue, as did The Independent in the United Kingdom.
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In France, several media including Liberation, Le Point, France 24 and RFI picked up the AFP program headlined “The powerful Cardinal Marc Ouellet accused of sexual assault in Canada”, as did LN24 in Belgium.
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Le Point (France), Liberation (France), TF1 (France), LN24 (BelgiumCath.ch (Switzerland), Forbes (USA), Semana (Colombia) and Ansa Brazil covered the topic.
International coverage
The info-TV broadcaster TF1 speaks of “a new shock wave hitting the Catholic Church and the Vatican”.
International coverage
The case is also reported by Haiti 24 and in Poland by Dziennik.
special channels
Also the media dedicated to the religious news were numerous to deal with the topic. In its French, Italian, English and Arabic editions, Zenit is silent on the subject, while in its Spanish version, Zenit pleads for the principle of the presumption of innocence.
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Vida Nueva (Spain) and the Catholic News Agency (USA) dedicate articles to the news. The Pillar (USA) dedicates a lengthy analysis entitled “Allegations about Cardinal Ouellet will increase criticism of the Vatican”.
Cath.ch, a Swiss Catholic portal, mentions the case in its international section on its main page.
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The media reported in a previous issue that the cardinal spoke about the impact of the pandemic on women in Latin America during a meeting on June 14. He said: “What harm have we done as men by assuming a status of superiority […] For centuries we have suppressed female distinctiveness.”
Last November, the cardinal was against the ordination of women.
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During a symposium at the Vatican last February, Marc Ouellet castigated the issue of sexual assault against minors for “criminal behavior that has been kept silent for too long in order to protect the institution and the perpetrators and not the victims”.
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He added: “Wouldn’t it be better for us to refrain from talking about the priesthood when the sins and crimes of unworthy ministers are making the headlines of the international press? […] This is an opportune time to express our sincere condolences and to once again seek forgiveness from the victims whose lives have been shattered.”
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Tuesday’s announcement resonated even within the community where the cardinal hails.
The former mayor of La Motte in Abitibi said he was very surprised by the allegations in the class action lawsuit against 88 priests from the Diocese of Quebec, including Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
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In 2013, René Martineau publicly expressed his pride that a citizen originally from La Motte came third at the conclave in Rome.
“It is certain that yesterday [mardi], it was a surprise effect. We didn’t expect that,” said Martineau, who was mayor for 20 years.
PASCAL HUOT/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC/QMI AGENCY
“With everything we’re hearing that implicates the clergy everywhere, it’s not surprising, but that it’s him who is being targeted is surprising. It’s a bit of a star,” added the ex-mayor.
– With the collaboration of Diane Tremblay
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