Ottawa protesters demand university turf convicted priest

Wed, November 19, 2008

Edmonton Sun

By BETH JOHNSTON, SUN MEDIA

OTTAWA -- A group of protesters gathered in front of St. Paul's University yesterday to alert the public that a Quebec priest who molested an eight-year-old girl on a 2004 church camping trip is studying law there.

Father Philippe de Maupeou, who pleaded guilty in 2007 and served a six-month conditional sentence, is studying canon law on a three-year, $60,000 scholarship at the downtown religious university.

Protesters argued de Maupeou shouldn't even be a priest anymore.

"This priest needs to be let go, and that's what we're here to tell people about," protester Carlo Tarini said.

"This money is coming from the pockets of the people who go to church and we feel that this is a major affront to all parishioners everywhere."

Louis Hebert, a bearded man with long, grey hair, paced up and down the sidewalk carrying a large white cross yesterday. "Sexual abuse," the cross read.

He was one of the dozen people gathered to speak against de Maupeou's presence at the university.

De Maupeou authorized the university to make a statement saying he's not a member of the student body, said Pascale Turmel, a spokesman for St. Paul's University.

Ottawa Citizen

 Published: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 

Jennifer Green, Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA-Victims of clergy sex abuse protested outside Saint Paul University Tuesday, angry that a priest convicted of molesting an eight-year-old would get $60,000 to study canon law.

The nine or so demonstrators with the Association of Victims of Priests hoisted their signs as they huddled into the icy wind on Main Street. One carried a crucifix with "Sex Abuse" on it; another called for all convicted pedophiles to be booted out of the church.

Unbeknownst to them, Rev. Philippe de Maupeou left Ottawa in September, quitting his courses after just a few weeks. He now lives in a supervised ecclesiastical residence under the jurisdiction of the Montreal archdiocese.

"It's better than just cutting him loose," said Rev. Alain Faubert, assistant to the vicar general in the archdiocese. "He can never do public ministry again."

Father de Maupeou pleaded guilty in 2006 to touching an eight-year-old on the breast and genitalia during a camping trip. The 48-year-old priest served in Montreal's Plateau Mont Royal district with Communauté du Pain de Vie, a religious commune including priests and families who work with the poor.

After the child came forward, years after the incident, Father De Maupeou was not allowed to be near children unsupervised, nor could he live with his commune.

However, Carlo Tarini, spokesman for the victims, said the church still doesn't understand how serious the offences are. Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte of Montreal told a radio station that Father de Maupeou was not a pedophile; it was more an "error of comportment," he said.

France Bédard, who founded the victims' association and organized Tuesday's demonstration, said in an e-mail after she found out the priest had left Ottawa: "Are Canada's bishops so hard up for recruiting priests that they can't readily fire convicted pedophiles and other sex abusers?"

 Ms. Bédard has launched a civil action against the church, saying a priest raped and impregnated her when she was 17.

The priest died one month before he was to face criminal charges. 

© Ottawa Citizen 2008