Canadian cardinal accused of sexual assault cleared by the Vatican

A Canadian cardinal accused of involvements in sexual assault has been exonerated by the panel of inquiry ordered by Pope Francis.

According to reports from the findings, the Canadian Cardinal is innocent of the sexual allegations and any other wrongdoings leveled against him.

It would be recalled that Cardinal Gerald Lacroix, the 66-year-old archbishop of Quebec and a member of the pope’s C9 advisory council, had been accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the 1980s.

“In the light of the facts examined by the judge, the report does not permit to identify any actions that amount to misconduct or abuse on the part of Cardinal Gerald C. Lacroix,” the Vatican said in a statement.

“Consequently, no further canonical procedure is foreseen.”

The claims against Lacroix date back to 1987 and 1988, when the alleged victim was 17, and are part of a class action suit against more than 100 priests in the archdiocese.

Lacroix, Quebec’s archbishop since 2011 and a cardinal since 2014, denies the allegations.

In January, he said he would pause his duties until the situation was cleared up, but he attended a Council of Cardinals meeting at the Vatican last month.