
Pope Francis Addresses Sexual Abuse and Women Priests During Visit to Belgium – Reuters
By Joshua McElwee and Marine Strauss
BRUSSELS – During his visit to Belgium, Pope Francis faced pressing calls from King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo for more decisive action against sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church, a topic that has recently regained public attention.
In an unusually direct manner for a papal visit, both the king and the prime minister publicly addressed the longstanding issue of clerical abuse. King Philippe remarked that it has taken the Church "far too long" to confront these scandals, while De Croo emphasized that the Church has "a long way to go," insisting that "words alone are not enough." He added, "Concrete steps must also be taken."
The pope’s trip primarily commemorates the 600th anniversary of two Catholic universities, yet recent media coverage and parliamentary inquiries have intensified scrutiny of the Church’s handling of sexual abuse cases.
The discussion also included calls for the Church to reevaluate its ban on the ordination of women as priests. Since 2012, there have been over 700 complaints and reports of clergy abuse in Belgium, as documented by Church records.
During a meeting with Belgian politicians at the royal Castle of Laeken, Pope Francis reassured attendees that the global Catholic Church is actively addressing these concerns. He did not specify instances of abuse in Belgium but acknowledged that the actions of clergy have served as "painful counter-testimonies" to the Church’s teachings, particularly regarding child abuse, which he described as a "scourge."
In a poignant addition to his comments, the pope stated that the Church must "be ashamed and ask forgiveness" for the abuse of minors, labeling it a crime.
Earlier this year, Francis defrocked former Bruges bishop Roger Vangheluwe, who had resigned after confessing to abusing his nephew. Due to the statute of limitations, he could not be criminally prosecuted.
In a private meeting later with 17 abuse survivors at the Vatican’s embassy in Brussels, the pope reportedly listened attentively and expressed his shame for their suffering as children.
Throughout his papacy, Francis has prioritized addressing clerical abuse, establishing the first papal commission on the matter and implementing a global system for reporting suspected cases of abuse or cover-ups by bishops. However, advocacy groups for survivors have criticized the effectiveness of these measures and urged the pope to mandate that all clergy report abuse suspicions to the authorities.
Both the king and the prime minister also acknowledged the Church’s historical involvement in the forced adoptions of single mothers’ babies in Belgium, likening it to similar scandals in Ireland and Spain. There are growing demands for accountability and reparations for the estimated 30,000 individuals affected by these practices, which Francis described as "the bitter fruit of wrongdoing and criminality."
At a subsequent event at one of the Catholic universities celebrating its long history, the rector of KU Leuven presented a significant challenge to the pope regarding the Church’s moral authority, also advocating for the inclusion of women in the priesthood. He questioned whether the Church might be a "warmer community" with a significant role for women, including as priests.
While the pope has convened commissions to explore the possibility of women serving as deacons—who are ordained but cannot celebrate Mass—he did not address the rector’s proposal during his remarks at the university.