Canada: Canon lawyer advised destruction of religious archives

La Croix International - September 25, 2024


Montreal, QC - A law firm claims religious archivists destroyed documents related to abuse to avoid lawsuits. Legal advice from a canon lawyer led to reducing sensitive records. Investigations later uncovered widespread document destruction, raising serious concerns about transparency and accountability within the Church.


There is no mention in the archives of the Archdiocese of Montreal “of any aggression towards women or any malicious act by once-renowned French Capuchin priest Abbé Pierre — accused of committing sexual assaults in his lifetime — during his visits to Montreal,” concluded retired judge André Denis this summer. There is also no such mention in the archives of the Archdiocese of Quebec, confirmed Auxiliary Bishop Marc Pelchat to Présence. Are documents missing or destroyed? Several observers are now asking this question.

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Winnipeg Free Press - June 17, 2025 Winnipeg, MB - A Winnipeg man is suing the Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg, alleging he was repeatedly sexually abused by two priests from ages 5 to 13 in the 1960s and ’70s. The lawsuit claims over 100 assaults by Jesuit priests Harold J. Bedford and Robert L. MacDougall, both now deceased, and accuses the church of failing to protect him. He says he was silenced when he reported the abuse and witnessed other family members being assaulted. The Archdiocese has not yet responded, and the allegations have not been proven in court.

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