Pope Francis: Catholic church must be ashamed of sexual abuse in Belgium as king blasts response Pope Francis has been welcomed to Belgium with powerful speeches from both the prime minister and the king condemning the Catholic Church’s handling of sexual abuse.
It was some of the most direct criticism levelled at the Church by a country’s leaders on the issue during a papal visit, with both King Philippe and Alexander de Croo alluding to the pontiff’s own responsibility in bringing about justice.
The Pope acknowledged their comments, stating the Church “must be ashamed” but stated it was a matter that was being dealt with “firmly and decisively”.
Late on Friday, behind closed doors, the Pope met 17 survivors of abuse by members of the Catholic Church.
At the Palace of Laeken the Pope looked on solemnly as first the king of the Belgians and then the prime minister were unusually forthright in their comments about the body that he leads.
“It has taken far too long for the cries to be heard and acknowledged. It has taken far too long to begin looking for ways to repair the irreparable,” King Philippe revealed of victims of Church abuse.
De Croo then talked of the damage that had been done by the hundreds of sexual abuse cases associated with the Catholic Church in Belgium. “We cannot ignore the painful wounds that exist within the Catholic faith community and wider society,” he said, before addressing Pope Francis personally.
“You are committed to justice, but there is still a long way to go,” stated the prime minister. Today, words alone do not suffice. We also need concrete steps."
The Pope is visiting Belgium mainly to celebrate the 600th anniversary of two Catholic universities, but to some extent the trip has been overshadowed by long-running child abuse scandals, which have had a profound impact on the country.
Last year, a high-profile Belgian television series Godvergeten (Godforsaken) focused on abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests in Flanders. It led to many hundreds of people contacting an abuse helpline and is believed to have contributed to a dramatic dwindle in church attendance.
Survivors are calling for reparations and for the Vatican to devise a universal entity for compensation, and the Belgian parliament has opened investigations into historical Church abuse cover-ups.
One of the 15 survivors meeting the Pope, Aline Colpaert, informed Flemish TV earlier she was looking for a concrete plan of action: “I hope he’s sincere, that he really listens and that my message touches him.”
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Tag: Pope Francis Catholic church must be ashamed of sexual abuse in Belgium as king blasts response
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Published 9/28/2024