OTTAWA - A former chief Roman Catholic chaplain of the Canadian Forces is facing sex-related charges, including "buggery" and indecent assault on a male.
Roger Bazin, a priest and retired brigadier general, is to face trial in the civilian court system on charges stemming from his time as padre at Canadian Forces Base Borden, north of Toronto, in 1972.
He was a captain at the time the incidents are alleged to have taken place. He was later promoted and served as Catholic chaplain general of the Forces, 1992-95.
Brig.-Gen. David Kettle, the current chaplain general, said he was shocked by the allegations.
"I take very seriously the charges laid against a former chaplain general for alleged actions committed while serving as a unit chaplain in 1972," he said in a statement.
"I will not comment on the charges as they are being dealt with by the criminal justice system, but I am certain that I speak for all chaplains when I say that my heart goes out to the victims of such crimes, and their families."
Bazin is charged under the 1972 Criminal Code of Canada, the statute in effect at the time of the offences, hence the now-discarded "buggery" charge.
