MONTREAL (CANADA)
Manitoulin Expositor
Dec. 23, 2019
Jesuits of Canada made a historic announcement last week which will further the healing for Canadian victims of sexual assault at the hands of Jesuits, including here on Manitoulin Island, when the religious order vowed to publish a list of all Jesuits who have been credibly accused of sexual assault since 1950.
“We hear the voice of the victims of childhood sexual abuse in Canada. Lists that provide the public with information about these men are important to healing. It is the right thing for us to do in the promotion of institutional transparency and accountability, an important step to help correct the causes of the crisis,” said Fr. Erik Oland, SJ, provincial of the Jesuits of Canada. “On behalf of the Jesuits, I apologize to the victims for the deep pain caused by Jesuits in the past.”
The Expositor contacted Jesuits of Canada following a Globe and Mail story that announced the development. Shortly thereafter, this newspaper received a statement and fact sheet from the organization in response to the Globe story.
Jesuits of Canada has enlisted King International Advisory Group, an independent auditor, to review all personnel and provincial files of Jesuits dating back to 1950. This will be used to create a list of all Jesuits in the organization’s service area (called a province), which includes all Canadian provinces and territories as well as Haiti.
Jesuits of Canada spokesperson José Sanchez told The Expositor that any priest who has been accused will be fully investigated back to the time they joined the order. The investigation will not be limited to 1950 and later; the province simply has not heard of any complaints before 1950.
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