Pope Francis on Tuesday said he had accepted the resignation of a Canadian bishop who has been named in a class-action lawsuit against the church that alleges sexual assault.
The pope didn’t give a reason for replacing Jean-Pierre Blais, the 75-year-old bishop of Baie-Comeau within the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, and the diocese said the resignation was not linked to the allegations. He also named a substitute: Reverend Pierre Charland, 62, currently a number one member of Canada’s Roman Catholic Franciscan order.
In a press release, the pope noted that any bishop who turns 75 is routinely requested to supply his resignation. The pope comes to a decision on whether to simply accept the offer “after he has examined all of the circumstances,” the statement said.
Blais is mentioned in a listing of sexual predators filed as a part of a victims’ class motion against the Archdiocese of Quebec. He has denied any wrongdoing.
“The nomination of a brand new bishop … will not be linked to the allegations against Bishop Blais,” the Diocese of Baie-Comeau said in an emailed statement, noting the church’s policy of requiring all those that hit 75 to supply their resignation.
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Blais wouldn’t be talking to the media, it added.
—Reporting by David Ljunggren, editing by Caroline Stauffer, Hugh Lawson and David Gregorio
