the priesthood, Ouellet published a book expressing his skepticism, Friends of the Bridegroom: For a Renewed Vision of Priestly Celibacy. He noted that rural communities of the region struggled to provide training even for catechists. During the synod he said that "Celibacy has an incomparable evangelizing power". He called for a "vocational culture" that would engage both laity and religious. Pope Francis accepted his resignation from his curial positions on 30 January 2023. Personal life Ouellet is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Latin, and German. Plagiarism Some texts published under Cardinal Ouellet's name have been found to be plagiarized from multiple sources, possibly by his alleged ghostwriter, Father Thomas Rosica. Alleged sexual assault On August 8, 2022, a class-action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec named Ouellet as the assailant of an unnamed woman (referred to as "F") who accused the cleric of kissing her, at a cocktail reception in 2008. "F" alleged that Ouellet massaged her shoulders and slid his hand down her back, touching her buttocks. No criminal charges have been laid. The lawsuit says that "F" wrote to Pope Francis about Ouellet in January 2021. Ouellet has denied the sexual assault allegation, calling it "defamatory". In January 2023, the woman referred to as "F" revealed herself to be Paméla Groleau. The Vatican began an internal preliminary investigation into her charge against Ouellet in February 2021, led by Jacques Servais, a Jesuit priest and theologian. On August 18, 2022, the Vatican dropped its investigation into Ouellet, after Pope Francis determined that there was not sufficient evidence to begin a canonical investigation. In December 2022, Ouellet filed a defamation lawsuit in Quebec courts, arguing that he was falsely accused of sexual assault. Distinctions Holy See: Order of the Holy Sepulchre Notes References External links Living people 1944 births French Quebecers People from Abitibi-Témiscamingue 20th-century Canadian Roman Catholic priests Pontifical Gregorian University alumni Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni Sulpician bishops Canadian cardinals Roman Catholic archbishops of Quebec 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Canada Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II Major Seminary of Bogotá faculty Members of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation Members of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Members of the Congregation for the Clergy Members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Members of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches Members