France: Cardinal Ouellet Sentenced
According to LeSalonBeige.fr, the judges recognised that the defendants had committed errors against Sister Marie, who was dismissed from her community, the Dominican Sisters of Pontcalec, after 34 years of consecrated life.
The dismissal took place on 21 October 2020, without giving Sister Marie the opportunity to defend herself. She was simply thrown out into the street.
In the case of the Dominican sisters, the court found that
- the procedure for dismissal from the community was not followed
- that no reasons were given for the dismissal
- there was no prior warning
- the duty to help Sr. Marie after her dismissal was not respected.
Regarding Dom Nault, the Court found that he had compromised the exercise of the fundamental rights of defence by keeping Sister Marie in the dark about the precise nature of the facts of which she was accused.
In the case of Cardinal Ouellet, the Court found:
- that he had committed an abuse of rights and lacked impartiality
- that he did not provide proof of a special mandate from Francis
- that he didn't have the authority to act in relation to a religious community.
- that he did not recuse himself because he was a "close friend of one of the sisters of the Dominican Institute of the Holy Spirit, Sister Marie de l'Assomption [Emilie d'Arvieux], whose positions were notoriously opposed to those of Sister Marie".
The court didn't find that the very general reasons given in the decree of dismissal of Sister Marie, drawn up by Cardinal Ouellet, were based on serious and precise facts.
The damage suffered by the sister was recognised as material and moral, with an attack on her honour and her private life.
In the words of the court, she was dismissed "without having committed the slightest offence", for reasons that have not been named, and she has been ruthlessly expelled from religious life".
The court therefore ordered the Dominican sisters to pay Sister Marie €33,622 because they had a duty to help her.
It also ordered the Dominican Sisters, the two Apostolic Visitors, and Cardinal Ouellet to pay Sister Marie a total of €182,400 for material damage and €10,000 for non-material damage, plus €10,000 for irreducible costs.
Of these amounts, Cardinal Ouellet will have to pay a larger share (60% and 55%).
In a press release, the Dominican sisters announced that they would appeal.
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