Pope Francis Arrives in Luxembourg for Rare European Visit, According to Reuters

By Joshua McElwee

LUXEMBOURG CITY – Pope Francis arrived in Luxembourg on Thursday for a brief visit to one of Europe’s smallest nations, ahead of a weekend trip to Belgium where he will focus on the plight of migrants and hold discussions with survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy.

This tour, which spans from Thursday to Sunday, marks a rare European visit for the Pope, who often opts to travel to places that have not hosted a papal visit or where Catholics are in the minority. The trip follows closely behind a demanding 12-day journey through Southeast Asia and Oceania.

The 87-year-old pontiff touched down at Luxembourg’s Findel International Airport aboard a chartered flight, accompanied by his team and traveling journalists. After spending the day in Luxembourg, he is scheduled to depart for Brussels, the capital of Belgium, in the evening.

According to Belgium’s ambassador to the Vatican, the Pope plans to meet privately with a group of 15 survivors of clerical abuse. Belgium has been grappling with numerous cases of sexual abuse within the Church, having recorded over 700 complaints and reports since 2012. Recently, the Pope expelled a former Belgian bishop from the priesthood after he admitted to abusing two nephews.

On Thursday, the Pope is set to engage in private meetings with Grand Duke Henri and Prime Minister Luc Frieden of Luxembourg before addressing the country’s political authorities. He will also meet with local Catholics at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City.

On Friday morning, the Pope will meet King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo of Belgium, followed by a speech addressing local issues.

During the flight from Rome, the Pope greeted journalists briefly but did not conduct his customary rounds to interact with them individually, citing discomfort with walking due to his knee and back pain.

Luxembourg, with a total area of 2,586 square kilometers (or 998 square miles), has approximately 271,000 Catholics in its population of around 654,000, as reported by the Vatican.