A priest in Ottawa has been removed from his position as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish after allegations of sexual misconduct were levelled against him in a civil suit.
In a statement posted on its website, the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall said Rev. Jessimar Cavan-Tapia had been removed from public ministry indefinitely “as a precautionary measure and following the canon law process.”
Canon law is the legal system used by the Roman Catholic Church to govern itself. The Vatican updated canon law to criminalize the sexual abuse of vulnerable adults as well as children in 2021.
In a statement, the archdiocese said: “Given that this claim relates to a clergy member of the archdiocese and is before the courts, no further comments will be made at this time.”
The allegations against Cavan-Tapia are in a civil lawsuit filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
Meanwhile, a criminal complaint has not been filed.
None of the allegations has been proven in court, and neither Cavan-Tapia nor the archdiocese has filed a defence statement in the civil case.
In the lawsuit, a 38-year-old man, known as S.G., asks the court to award him over $4 million in damages for pain, suffering and financial damage emanating from what he alleges was sexual and physical abuse.
According to the statement of claim, S.G. was a homeless teenager when he first met Cavan-Tapia around 20 years ago at St. Peter’s Parish in Ottawa’s Heron Gate neighbourhood. The claim states that Cavan-Tapia took him shopping for clothes and invited him to stay at the rectory, the priest’s residence, where he gave him a massage.
Ten years later, S.G. was working intermittently for the archdiocese as a church caretaker and contacted to Cavan-Tapia when he needed a place to stay.
According to the claim, Cavan-Tapia agreed that he should stay at the rectory of St. Andrew Parish in Nepean, where the two men shared a room. That night, the lawsuit claims, Cavan-Tapia “insisted that he wanted to perform fellatio on the plaintiff and did so after badgering (him).”
S.G. moved out of the rectory the next day, the statement of claim says.
The lawsuit alleges that Cavan-Tapia inappropriately touched S.G., fondled his genitals and sexually harassed him.
The legal claim read: “At the time that the abuse occurred, S.G. felt terrified, shocked, confused and ashamed.
“S.G. was therefore unable to discuss the abuse, given his fear, embarrassment, self-blame and denial. S.G. has repressed much of the anger and grief resulting from the abuse.
“It was and continues to be very painful for S.G. to think about, let alone speak about, the abuse.”
Cavan-Tapia took over as pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish on St. Laurent Boulevard in 2015.
S.G’s lawyer, Michael Hazan, refused to comment on the case.
The archdiocese has 132 parishes and missions served by 144 diocesan priests.
SUPPORT NIGERIAN CANADIAN NEWSPAPER CANADA
If you like our work and want to keep enjoying what we offer, kindly support us by donating to the Nigerian Canadian News by clicking here
Share your thoughts in the comments section below
Do you want to share any news or information with us? If yes, contact the publisher at publisher@test1.nascitest.club
