Orphanage of Mont d’Youville: the Archbishop of Quebec forced into the debate

Alleging that the Archbishop of Quebec had all the powers to prevent or put an end to the physical and sexual abuse raised by the some 500 residents of the Mont d’Youville orphanage, the Center de services scolaire des Premières-Seigneuries made a request so that the supreme authority of the Catholic Church in Quebec is also also covered by the class action.

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In what looks like a game of chess between the defendants targeted by the class action of the alleged victims of Mont d’Youville, the Center de services scolaire has brought new proceedings against the Archbishop of Quebec to protect itself in the event of defeat.

The School Services Center requested that the Catholic Church in Quebec be placed in guaranteed back.

“A monumental farce”

“It becomes a monumental farce”, loose however Jean Simard, a former representative of the group still closely involved in the process. “They persist among themselves, they accuse each other”.

This complex debate began in August 2020, when the judge authorized a request for class action by the representatives of the alleged victims of Mont D’Youville against the Sisters of Charity.

Since the establishment had been ceded to the government of Quebec in 1996 with all the rights and obligations that this implied, the Sisters had called in guarantee the CIUSSS of the Capitale-Nationale and the Center de services scolaire.

The objective was essentially to include entities liable for fault in the event that the Superior Court recognizes the physical and sexual abuse alleged by 500 boarders between 1925 and 1996. A total of 95 alleged abusers are targeted by the lawsuit, including 67 religious.

Moral authority

The response of the School Services Center was filed last week at the courthouse in the form of an act of forced intervention by appeal in warranty against the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Quebec.

According to the petition filed, the archbishop had “all authority and power necessary” to prevent or stop the abuses committed against young people at the time.

Thus, he should “assume full responsibility for a possible condemnation, through his authoritative and moral role with the Sisters of Charity”.

For Jean Simard, although the addition of the Archbishop of Quebec has a symbolic side, this new procedure is not good news, in particular because of the delays which are likely to lengthen.

For his part, the lawyer representing the Center de services scolaire, Me Bernard Jacob, assures that he has the mandate not to delay the proceedings out of respect for the alleged victims.