The woman who claims she experienced unwanted sexual touching by Canadian Cardinal Mark Ouellet has revealed her identity, saying she wants more transparency from the Vatican and to encourage others to share their stories of abuse.
Pamela Grollo is one of more than 130 people involved in a class-action lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec that includes allegations of sexual misconduct against 96 clergy members dating back to the 1940s.
“Today, I am no longer F,” Grollo said in a statement to a small group of reporters, referring to the letter used to identify her in court documents. “I’m Pamela Grollo.”
Welle is a prominent Vatican cardinal who is seen as a potential successor to the pope. He denied all the allegations against him and sued Grollo for defamation in December, seeking $100,000 in damages. Ouellet did not immediately respond to a request for comment made through his lawyers.
Grollo, who now works in another part of the church, said she initially wanted to hide her identity to protect her family, her job and her mental health, “which was tested every step of the way.”
Now, she says she feels coming forward will help her own healing and encourage other potential victims to feel comfortable coming forward about what happened to them.
“To find the dignity that was taken from me,” she said.
Pope Francis, left, and Cardinal Mark Wellet arrive at the opening of a 3-day symposium on vocations at the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican on February 17, 2022. The Vatican said there was insufficient evidence to open a canonical sexual-abuse investigation against Wellet. (Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press)
Grollo said he also wants the Catholic Church to acknowledge that its internal process for dealing with sex allegations isn’t working and needs to change.
“I would like to see the church confronting abuse rather than denying it, and I would like to hear how the church welcomes anyone who claims to be a victim with neutral, impartial, independent, rigorous and professional processes,” she said.
Grolleau was an intern at the Archdiocese of Quebec between 2008 and 2010 when she alleged that Ouellet behaved inappropriately toward her, according to court documents as part of the case that were released in August.
She says the cardinal held her close to him and fondled her waist during public events. Grollo, who was 24 at the time, said the gestures made her increasingly uncomfortable.
In 2020, Groleau decided to report the incidents directly to the archdiocese, calling Ouellet’s alleged actions intrusive and inappropriate. After an internal investigation, her letter was handed over to the Vatican.
Grollo said she did not receive a response until the trial she was involved in was made public in August 2022. The Vatican released a statement shortly thereafter saying it had found no evidence to warrant further disciplinary action.
A “worrying and painful” process
She said the whole process was extremely stressful.
“I experienced this as another attack. It was very troubling and painful, both from the archdiocese and the Vatican,” she said.
Pamela Grollo says she was horrified when the Vatican said it would not investigate her allegations against Cardinal Mark Welle. (Sonia Desmarais/Radio-Canada)
She said she receives threatening anonymous letters and fears she will lose her job.
Alain Arsenault, a partner at the law firm representing the plaintiffs in the case, said Grollo is the first person he knows of who has been sued for defamation after taking part in a class-action lawsuit against members of the Catholic Church.
The lawyer said Grollo is among up to 2,400 people in Quebec who have been involved in similar class actions.
“This is the first time there has been an action like this coming from a priest,” Arsenault said.
Grollo hopes her story will inspire people, whether religious or not, to demand more transparency from the Vatican.
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