Convicted pedophile stripped of priesthood by Montreal archdiocese

Church asks judge to investigate pedophile priest The Catholic Church of Montreal has called on a retired Quebec judge to investigate priest Brian Boucher, who sexually assaulted two boys

MONTREAL — With no appeal filed, Montreal Archbishop Christian Lepine has stripped Brian Boucher of his priesthood after he was convicted in Jan. 2019 for sexually assaulting two minors while he was serving as a priest.

In a news release Friday, the archdiocese of the Catholic Church of Montreal said that the decision was rendered last year, but it was subject to appeal.

"This summer, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith informed Archbishop Lepine that no appeal had been filed; therefore, the decision stands. Mr. Boucher is no longer a priest of the Roman Catholic Church," the release reads.

The Montreal archdiocese removed Boucher from his priestly duties in Dec. 2015 after accusations were made against him, and opened an investigation.

A criminal investigation followed in 2017 and the church investigation was paused.

Once the criminal trial concluded in 2019, the canonical process resumed, and Lepine laicized Boucher.

"We are of one heart with the victims, their families, their parish communities in their pain and suffering," the Archbishop said in the release. "We will never accept that such crimes be committed and remain concealed."

Retired justice Pepita G. Capriolo concluded her review of how complaints about Boucher were processed in September, focusing on "who knew what, when?" regarding the abuse complaints.

Capriolo presented her report and recommendations to the archbishop Sept. 2, and the diocese said it will publicize the findings at the end of November.

Capriolo took the case over from retired judge Anne-Marie Trahan, who died in 2019.

The investigation was originally tasked with auditing 70 years of sexual abuse and assault allegations against minors by clergy, investigating Boucher and assessing the quality and condition of the Archdiocese of Montreal's archives.

Capriolo's report focused on the latter two tasks, and the 70-year audit is the next priority, according to the archdiocese.