Rev. Johannes Rivoire, a priest who has been charged with historical sexual abuse in Nunavut, will not be removed from the Oblates after leaders in Rome ruled against his dismissal. (File photo)
Disgraced priest Rivoire won’t be dismissed from Oblates
Priest accused of sexual abuse in Nunavut will remain an Oblate after decision by officials in Rome
Updated on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 12 p.m.
A priest accused of historical sexual abuse in Nunavut will remain a member of the Oblate order after Catholic leaders in Rome ruled against dismissing him from the religious order.
Rev. Johannes Rivoire has been accused of sexually abusing Inuit children going back decades to the time when he lived in what’s now Nunavut in the 1970s.
“We are deeply disappointed by this news,” Rev. Ken Thorson, who heads the Oblates of OMI Lacombe Canada, said Tuesday in a joint statement with Rev. Renaud Saliba of the French Oblates in France.
Thorson said they have strongly urged Rivoire, who is now in his 90s and lives in France, to return to Canada to face allegations against him but have been “repeatedly disappointed by his refusal to do so.”
France has so far refused to extradite Rivoire to Canada, where one criminal charge remains on the books.
Rivoire worked as a parish priest in Nunavut, mostly in Arviat and Naujaat, between 1960 and 1992. He moved to France in 1993, and in 1998 the RCMP filed sex-related charges against him.
Those charges were later stayed when the Public Prosecution Service of Canada determined there was no reasonable chance of conviction.
But in 2022, a new charge related to alleged sexual abuse was laid against Rivoire in Canada.
While dismissing Rivoire from the Oblates would have only been a symbolic gesture, Thorson and Saliba said they believe it would have “sent a strong signal to the Inuit people about our commitment to reconciliation.”
“We wish to apologize to any victim or survivor who has been abused by a member of our clergy and to assure them that we are committed to supporting their healing journey,” Thorson and Saliba wrote.
They said Rivoire has been removed from public ministry, but that all other options under church rules to compel him to face the justice system have been “exhausted.”
Rev. Vincent Gruber, who led the Oblates of the Province of France, told Nunatsiaq News and delegates with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in 2022 that the congregation, OMI Lacombe Canada and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate had appealed to leaders in Rome to dismiss Rivoire from Oblate membership.
Through these proceedings, Rivoire’s counsel cited his declining health and medical advice that he not undertake more than one hour of air travel.
“In considering this development, Oblate administration has not proceeded with dismissal from the congregation,” Thorson and Saliba said in their statement.
The Oblates of Canada and France along with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate have enlisted retired Quebec Superior Court judge André Denis to lead the Oblate Safeguarding Commission, an independent review of historical allegations of sexual abuse against Rivoire in Nunavut.
Thorson said the groups hope that Denis’s report — expected to be released in April — will shine a light on abuse, identify improvements to Oblate policies to better safeguard minors, and hold Oblate clergy to a higher level of accountability.
“While we cannot undo the harms that persist following sexual abuse, we hope that these efforts can help the Inuit Peoples find the healing they have long sought,” Thorson said.
Mouv’Enfants, a French advocacy group working to end sexual violence against children and formerly known as BeBrave France, also issued a statement Tuesday calling out the congregation of Oblates of OMI for organizing the flight of Rivoire from Quebec to France in 1993 even after complaints had been filed against him.
The group has demanded Rivoire be extradited and has staged protests outside Rivoire’s home in Lyon, France.
Correction: This article has been updated from its originally published version to reflect that Rev. Vincent Gruber led the Oblates of the Province of France, but was not its leader at the time this article was published.
Another example of the church protecting their own and zero consequences for the abuser. simply disgusting!
You’re going good work getting nothing done with petty lawsuits.
Now how about that 450M from 2022 in housing money you announced that was not part of nu3000.
It’s not NTI that is the problem; it is it’s leadership and senior staff’s lack of vision…..the will. It appears the only will this org is their PR.
He is too old to face justice on earth. But I’ve come to believe that the dead do not rest until every last person that they have hurt when alive forgives them.
Protest by not going to Roman Catholic Churches across Nunavut and stop putting your ten percent to them
That’s evil itself. Against church. I’m glad you just have stupid opinions and not make any actual decisions.
I quit the Catholic Church long ago
Most churches/congregation do not practice 10% – specially this mentioned church followed by ACC.
“Rivoire’s counsel cited his declining health and medical advice that he not undertake more than one hour of air travel. In considering this development, Oblate administration has not proceeded with dismissal from the congregation”
That’s such BS, is the church still living in the Dark Ages that they can’t do a Zoom videoconference? That’s the weakest excuse I’ve ever heard. They will always protect their own, and never admit that anyone in their precious church has ever harmed someone, and let them face actual justice. “Too old” wasn’t a viable excuse to not bring Nazi war criminals to justice, they still prosecute 90+ year old Nazis, how is he special? He violated CHILDREN.
Living canadians today are those who are related to german nazis and other European settlers. They couldn’t get there way back in Europe. Their homeland. So they ran away to North America and made themselves rcmp and government officials and restarted in North America. This is the world we live in.
What a dumb grasp of history you have
Case in point, last year a 98 year old Nazi criminal was prosecuted, and also a 101 year old! These two are much older than Rivoire is now. Old age is not an excuse, period.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66686146
Different countries, different laws. Germans going after one of their own is very different than the French going after a Frenchman at the request of foreigners.
The example doesn’t work.
They open up to believing Inuit are to be played. Today it is trying to hide those wrong doings. Who they were brought by, churches to try prevent it from being tried.
Bringing predators of this sort to justice does not involve a trip to France as its priority. Nunavut communities do not need to look far to find these… however, lateral shaming is not a common practice. If NTI was so determined to make those accountable for their actions round up the 25% of each community that have committed similar or worse assaults. In no way am I excusing the atrocities and terrible actions of the Catholic church or any clergy. If you want to hold people accountable for this type of behavior, start from the centre of the circle and work outwards. Grandstanding and vacationing in France, can come a little later.
First of all, victims have to come forewards, go to the RCMP for them to press charges. This is very difficult for victims, as often they are ashamed and embarrassed this happened to them. They are often brainwashed that it was their fault from the abusers. This is especially difficult when it involves family members as sometimes family will not believe nor support the victim. Rivoire getting away with his abuses do not encourage victims to come forwards. This is why it is so important that he faces the music.
Those who he wronged are gone. No more after life. No repentance or statement from those who he wronged that’s why he’s free.
The priests and sisters and nuns have all moved to Europe. Some parts of kivalliq don’t have priest or sister or nun to help keep the church open. Let alone provide church service. It looks as if they’ve felt in danger and threatened and moved away as soon as they could.
Wait. This round and round has been playing out for decades. Nothing more than what’s packed in the book, Mortal Sins. However, it has given criminals and sexual assault criminals a defence for a get out of jail card to play. Simply say “residential school”. Be it you or your great grandfather, grandmother, mother, father, uncle, aunt, 6th cousin attended one. No one screams with outraged…What about the victim! Other than comforting them, they can use the same jail card when they future abuse. Expected to do this.
Look at the Nunavut court docket across Nunavut. There’s always one or two PB (Publication Ban) sexual assault court case every month. So strange the ‘residential’ word makes the accused to feel sorry for. Just as we are today to accept minor attracted person without question. If do scream no and say our thoughts. With the coming C-63 censorship bill, could easily be sent to jail for life for speaking up in against. How’s that for a twisted reality now happening in Canada?