Canon Law Webinars - Where Did All the Papers Go? Lessons from the Capriolo Report for the Maintenance of Ecclesiastical Archives

Most Reverend Thomas Dowd and The Honorable G. Pepita Capriolo

26 January 2022

2:00 to 3:00 p.m. EST

Bishop Dowd recommends that participants read the Capriolo Report before the webinar: LINK

Summary

The Honorable Pepita Capriolo is a retired judge of the Quebec Superior Court. She was hired by the Archdiocese of Montreal in December 2019 to investigate “who knew what when” following the conviction of former priest Brian Boucher for abuse of minors. Her report was presented to the public on November 25, 2020, and included many recommendations, including regarding the management of church archives. In this webinar, Hon. Capriolo and Bishop Dowd will explain the key problems that were identified in her investigation regarding the retention and storage of files and documents. They will also explain what they see as the root causes of these problems. Finally, they will review recommendations on how to do better for the future.

Biographies

Bishop Thomas Dowd

Bishop Thomas Dowd obtained his licentiate in canon law from the Institut de droit canonique of the Université de Strasbourg in 2018. Originally from Montreal, he was ordained as auxiliary bishop for that diocese in 2011. He served as Episcopal Vicar for the English-speaking Faithful, and later as Vicar-General responsible for economic and administrative affairs. Drawing from his experience in Montreal he has assisted in different canonical investigations and processes in Canada and France. He is presently the bishop of the diocese of Sault Ste. Marie in northern Ontario.

The Honorable Pepita Capriolo

The Honorable Pepita Capriolo holds a law degree from McGill University (Civil Law) and a Master’s Degree (Common Law) from Oxford University. She was appointed to the Superior Court of Quebec in 1999 from which she retired in July 2019. The Honorable Capriolo started her legal career as assistant professor in the Faculty of Common Law at the University of Ottawa. She then acted as legal consultant to the Commission des droits de la personne du Québec, was legal counsel to Loto-Québec and director of policy development for the Montreal Jewish Community Services. She has also served on the Comité de la protection de la jeunesse du Québec. Immediately preceding her appointment to the bench, she had served for ten years as a commissioner for the Quebec Ministry of Labour’s Commission des lésions professionnelles. Throughout her career, she has been active in many charitable organizations, including several in the Jewish community, of which she is a member.

https://diocesemontreal.org/sites/default/files/ressources/actualites/communiques/2020/11/independent-report-complaints-against-former-priest-brian-boucher.pdf