A Quebec association of sexual abuse victims of priests wants Marc Cardinal Ouellett to become pope.

Spokesman Carlo Tarini says if Ouellett is elected, it would thrust a number of sexual abuse cases involving Quebec priests into the spotlight, adding that could lead to progress in cases that have been stalled for years.

Ouellet has been criticized for not doing eneough to address the issue in his home province.

Tarini says the group wants something else.

"To ask the Roman Catholic Church to appoint a mediator, someone to finally put an end to the plight of the victims. We're calling for former Supreme Court judge Michel Bastarache, who's retired, and who has done similar work in the diocese of New Brusnwick, for him to be appointed to settle two outstanding class action suits involving thousands of victims", Tarini told CJAD News.

According to Tarini, there've been three-thousand Quebec victims in a span of 40 years.

The group staged a protest in front of Outremont's St Viateur church Sunday afternoon to make its points.

Photo credit: cpj.ca