Pope Francis, pressed by Belgium on sexual abuse, says Church acting ‘decisively’

BRUSSELS – Pope Francis was pressed firmly by Belgium’s king and premier on Sept 27 for more concrete actions to address sexual abuse by the Catholic clergy, an issue that is once more in the spotlight.

Both King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo raised the issue in public in unusually forceful language for a papal foreign trip, always a carefully choreographed event.

King Philippe told Pope Francis in a speech welcoming him to Belgium that it has taken the church far too long to address the scandals.

Mr De Croo said it has “a long way to go” and that “words alone are not enough”. “Concrete steps must also be taken.”

Pope Francis’

weekend trip to Belgium

is meant to focus on the 600th anniversary of two Catholic universities. But a television documentary series and a parliamentary investigation have brought the church’s record on clerical sexual abuse to the fore.

More than 700 complaints and reports of abuse have been made in Belgium since 2012, according to a church report.

In the meeting on Sept 27 with politicians at the royal Castle of Laeken in Brussels, Pope Francis sought to give assurances that the global Catholic Church was tackling the issue.

The 87-year-old pontiff did not name specific cases of abuse in Belgium but said the behaviour of Catholic clergy provided “painful counter-testimonies” to the church’s teachings.

“I refer to the tragic instances of child abuse, which is a scourge that the church is addressing firmly and decisively… by implementing a prevention programme throughout the world,” the Pope said.

In addition to his prepared remarks, he said the church must “be ashamed and ask forgiveness” for the abuse of minors, which he called a crime.

Defrocked bishop

In March, Pope Francis

expelled former bishop of Bruges Roger Vangheluwe

from the priesthood.

Vangheluwe resigned in 2010 after admitting abusing a nephew, and in 2011 admitted abusing another. The statute of limitations has prevented criminal prosecution.

The Pope was expected to hold a private meeting with 15 survivors of abuse later on Sept 27 at the Vatican’s embassy in Brussels, where he is staying during his visit.

Pope Francis has made addressing abuse by the clergy a priority of his papacy, and created the first papal commission on the issue. He also installed a global system for Catholics to report suspicions of abuse or cover-ups by bishops.

But survivors’ groups have questioned the effectiveness of the commission, and urged the pontiff to require all Catholic clergy to report suspicions of abuse to the authorities.

Both King Philippe and Mr De Croo also mentioned the church’s historic role in Belgium in forcing single mothers to give up their babies for adoption.

Under the pretence of being shielded from the stigma of illegitimacy, many babies were placed, with the help of church-run social services, with devout Catholic families, echoing similar scandals in Ireland and Spain.

Demands have grown in Belgium for justice, formal apologies and reparations from both the church and the government for about 30,000 affected people.

Pope Francis called the practice “the bitter fruit of wrongdoing and criminality”. REUTERS