A French priest accused of sexually abusing Inuit children in Nunavut will be allowed to remain a member of the Oblates congregation after leadership in Rome ruled against his dismissal.
Johannes Rivoire, who is in his mid-90s and lives in Lyon, France, has long faced allegations he sexually abused Inuit children during his time in Nunavut.
"I was deeply disappointed," said Rev. Ken Thorson with OMI Lacombe Canada.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate, OMI Lacombe Canada and the Oblates of the Province of France had appealed to leadership in Rome in 2022 to commence the dismissal proceedings against Rivoire after the Catholic priest refused to return to Canada to face charges.
An arrest warrant was issued for Rivoire earlier that year for indecent assault involving a girl in Arviat and Whale Cove, Nvt., between 1974 and 1979. French authorities later denied an extradition request from Canadian judicial authorities.
The priest previously avoided trial when he refused to return to Canada after a warrant was issued for his arrest in 1998. He faced at least three charges of sexual abuse in the Nunavut communities of Arviat, Rankin Inlet and Naujaat. More than two decades later, the charges were stayed.
The Public Prosecution Service of Canada said at the time it was partly due to France's reluctance to extradite.
Rivoire has denied all allegations against him and none have been proven in court.
Inuit leaders and politicians have continued to urge that the priest face trial. Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, said he asked Pope Francis to speak directly with Rivoire during an Indigenous delegation to the Vatican in 2022.
A 10-member delegation led by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., a group representing Nunavut Inuit, travelled to France later that year and spoke with Rivoire himself, asking the priest to return to Canada. That group has claimed up to 60 children may have been abused.
Last year, nearly a dozen members of BeBrave France, the French chapter of a global advocacy movement that aims to end sexual violence against children, demonstrated outside the retirement home where Rivoire was living. He has since been relocated into the Oblates' administration house in Lyon because of the attention he was getting at the previous facility, Thorson said.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate said it has also repeatedly urged Rivoire to face the charges, but he has refused.
Thorson said the disciplinary proceedings included two warnings and a formal recommendation. Rivoire's counsel cited his declining health, such as medical advice against more than one hour of air travel, as a reason he couldn't return, Thorson said.
Considering Rivoire's health, the Oblate administration in Rome did not proceed with dismissal from the congregation, Thorson said.
The dismissal would not have forced Rivoire to return to Canada but Thorson said it would have been symbolic of the church's commitment to accountability and reconciliation.
"I recognize we missed opportunities to take what could have been healing steps in this case," Thorson said.
"That's a regret that I carry."
Thorson said he hopes that an independent investigation into the allegations against Rivoire and the Oblates' handling of the situation can still provide some justice.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate, OMI Lacombe Canada and the Oblates of the Province of France appointed former Superior Court justice Andre Denis to lead the Oblate Safeguarding Commission.
The commission is to understand how allegations against Rivoire were addressed within the Catholic congregation and to identify improvements to Oblate policies and governance to better protect minors and ensure accountability.
It will also review the circumstances under which Rivoire left Canada.
A final written report is to be made public no later than April 1.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2024.
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported he failed to follow police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
Jessica Biel is the author of a new children’s book focused on destigmatizing and normalizing the conversation around menstruation.
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
J.T. Miller scored in the final minute of the game and the Vancouver Canucks came back for a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday.
British Columbia's chief veterinarian has issued an order making it illegal to transport boats or other watercraft without removing the drain plug to prevent the spread of whirling disease.
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
The unofficial start of summer is upon us. If you still haven't made plans for Victoria Day, here’s what’s open and closed around Toronto on Monday.
Five months after a coroner's inquest into the death of a mentally ill man at an Ontario jail, his family said Thursday the province has failed to implement any of the dozens of recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths in the future.
Smoke and flames could be seen from kilometres away, prompting numerous 911 calls after a blaze broke out on the eastern edge of Calgary near Glenmore Trail and Stoney Trail S.E.
As a housing crisis continues in Calgary, the city is looking to strike a balance between increasing density – both in established neighbourhoods and in new ones.
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
It has been 50 years to the day since the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario first opened its doors.
Air Canada is boosting service out of the Ottawa International Airport, including additional flights to Chicago, Washington and Halifax and more capacity on flights to Vancouver.
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Palliative care, which is offered when someone is diagnosed with a serious illness, often gets confused with hospice care, which is comfort without curative intent.
A father has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his 34-year-old daughter in southern Quebec.
A Montreal father who kidnapped his daughter who has autism and lied to police when they asked where she was should serve three years in prison, a Crown prosecutor said.
At Andrew Lake Lodge — a remote camp in the extreme northeast corner of Alberta — owner Dan Wettlaufer is looking forward to welcoming the first of this year's crop of tourists this weekend.
A late goal by J.T. Miller broke a deadlock that had lasted for almost two periods, grabbing a shot that had deflected off the post and sweeping it past goalie Calvin Pickard with 31.9 seconds left in the third period to lift the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
The Edmonton Police Commission heard on Thursday from almost a dozen angry speakers demanding police accountability after the teardown of a protest encampment from the University of Alberta.
Traffic came to a halt Thursday afternoon when a truck drove off an overpass along a Halifax-area highway.
A video of a fight between two teens is being investigated by Fredericton police.
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
A severe thunderstorm rolled through parts of Manitoba on Thursday evening, producing heavy rain and hail.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to visit a school in Winnipeg today to promote his government's school nutrition program.
A second chance could be coming for dozens of dogs seized from inhumane conditions at a Winnipeg home.
Saskatchewan RCMP are asking for the public's help in identifying human remains discovered in a wooded area near Moose Jaw.
Saskatchewan teachers have voted heavily in favour of a new mandate that allows job action to continue until an agreement with the province is reached.
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man wanted in a homicide which occurred in Regina on May 12.
The local humane society is asking for the public's help to care for five puppies that were found abandoned in a box near Hwy. 401 in Kitchener.
The Erie Drive In is what some might call the best kept secret in Stratford.
Most people want to break out of an escape room. A Waterloo, Ont. business, however, has been broken into – not once – but twice.
Saskatchewan teachers have voted heavily in favour of a new mandate that allows job action to continue until an agreement with the province is reached.
A Saskatoon water skier who is blind and deaf has partnered with a well-known artist to fundraise for the national adaptive water ski team.
Giant Tiger has announced that the company is closing a number of stores including one location in Saskatoon.
Two suspects are in custody following a stabbing that sent two people to hospital in northern Ontario, police say.
A legal clinic from southern Ontario is reminding Timmins city council that it’s “unlawful” in Ontario to evict people from homeless encampments on public property.
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
It’s been three months since 38-year-old Tanya Wiebe was found dead inside a home on Roberts Line in Central Elgin.
Marking both celebration and sorrow, Ukrainian Canadians in London marched around Victoria Park on Thursday evening for Vyshyvanka Day.
Londoners will be waking up to some cloud coverage Friday morning with a chance of showers, but CTV News London Meteorologist Julie Atchison says things will turn around for the better this long weekend.
A list of city services available on Victoria Day.
An OPSEU press release stated the workers fought for a wage increase.
A donation of 390 trees had Georgina kids planting trees at their schools.
A LaSalle man is planning to give back to his community and go on a tropical getaway following a recent $100,000 lotto win.
Windsor police officers have arrested one suspect and seized over $250,000 in illegal drugs after an investigation.
A heads up for drivers as lane restrictions will continue on Lauzon Parkway on Friday as sewer rehabilitation work is completed.
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Premier David Eby delivered an election-style speech to his New Democrat caucus, warning of the potential merger between the opposition BC United and B.C. Conservative parties, saying the fall election is shaping up to be the "starkest choice in a generation."
A nurse in Metro Vancouver has been suspended for two weeks and ordered to take remedial education after she accessed the personal health records of several people for no work-related purpose.
One person is dead after a fight in Penticton early Sunday morning, according to authorities.
A suspect is at large after robbing a convenience store at gunpoint in Merritt, B.C., Friday, according to local police.
After four targeted shootings in four days, Mounties in Kamloops are taking the unusual step of warning the public about two men they believe are likely to be targeted in future violent incidents.
Lethbridge has been working to address lawlessness in the city’s downtown over the past six months.
It's just about patio season in Lethbridge, and the city is once again rolling out its annual patios and parklets program.
Family and friends are mourning the loss of an Alberta couple who were killed Sunday in a highway crash northwest of Lethbridge, Alta.
With no active wildland fires burning in northern Ontario, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry sent 10 crews to Manitoba to help battle the blazes there.
Patricia Doiron of Sault Ste. Marie won $250,000 playing Instant Bingo Multiplier.
Sault Ste. Marie city council is calling on the provincial government to recognize Ontario’s physician shortage.
Canada's new $10-a-day child care program is expanding, but there's growing evidence that demand for the program is rising even faster, leaving many parents on the outside looking in.
A new study shows an Atlantic salmon population in southern Newfoundland is disappearing, and it says nearby aquaculture operations are a likely contributor to the decline.
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
ALS patient Mathew Brown said he’s hopeful for future ALS patients after news this week of research at Western University of a potential cure for ALS.
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
To give Canadians a break on their summer road trips, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to suspend all gas and diesel taxes from Victoria Day to Labour Day.
Eight in 10 Canadians back a woman's right to an abortion and two in three don't want the notwithstanding clause used to restrict access to abortions, a new poll suggests.
Canada on Thursday imposed its first-ever sanctions on what the foreign ministry called 'extremist' Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and said Ottawa was weighing additional measures to deter settler violence against Palestinians.
Southern British Columbians may see smoky skies from wildfires burning in the northeastern part of the province over the weekend and one local doctor is warning of the potential long-term health risks associated with that poor air quality.
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
A black bear cub with signs of neurological disease was euthanized in Banff last week.
What is big, with a fluffy, cotton candy-like composition? Turns out, a planet. An international coalition of astronomers has newly discovered an unusual planet, dubbed WASP-193b, that’s about 50 per cent bigger than Jupiter and somehow still the second lightest planet ever found.
According to figures released Friday, the former member of the Fab Four, Paul McCartney, is the first British musician to be worth 1 billion pounds (US$1.27 billion).
Zach Bryan and his girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia were involved in a scary car accident earlier this week, according to LaPaglia, who recalled the experience in a candid video posted to her TikTok page earlier this week.
There’s no point asking Marisa Abela to sing Amy Winehouse songs at karaoke. Her friends have already tried and failed. But you can see her sing — and become — Winehouse in the new film “Back to Black,” which opens in the U.S. on Friday.
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. said Thursday it's ready to sign on to the grocery code of conduct, paving the way for an agreement that's been years in the making.
Canada's telecom and television complaints watchdog says many telecom providers aren't following complaints section rules on their websites, and it's particularly concerned about some repeat offenders.
A key Boeing supplier that makes the fuselages for its popular 737 Max airplanes is laying off about 450 workers because production has slowed down ever since a panel flew off one of those airplanes operated by Alaska Airlines in midair in January.
Many Canadians found a message from the Canada Revenue Agency this week as they received their first direct deposit for the Canada Carbon Rebate.
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
Airplane overhead compartments. Home to luggage of all shapes and sizes, the odd coat or two, several duty-free bags, a fair bit of dust and… passengers?
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported he failed to follow police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
J.T. Miller scored in the final minute of the game and the Vancouver Canucks came back for a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday.
Xander Schauffele broke the PGA Championship scoring record, seizing on the rain-softened conditions at Valhalla on Thursday with a 9-under 62 to set the early target.
It’s a good time to be in the market for a used Tesla.
Auto technology has evolved and many newer cars use wireless key fobs and push-button starters instead of traditional metal keys. But that technology also makes things easier for thieves.
The Ontario government is expected to introduce legislation on Wednesday that, if passed, will see impaired drivers face stiffer penalties.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
