by Admin
Sep 27, 2024
Belgium welcomed Pope Francis’ visit to the country after thirty years of the last papal visit to Belgium. The visit which is marked by the assembly of aggrieved victims of sexual abuse by clergymen in Belgium.
Alexander De Croo, the prime minister of Belgium who stood up for the victims of sexual abuse by priests, didn’t hide his disgust nor his anger towards the Pope, who he accused of being an accomplice in the cover ups of numerous sexual abuse cases against the victims in Belgium.
In his speech, the prime minister said, “Victims need to be heard. They need to be at the center. They have a right to truth. Misdeeds need to be recognised,”
He further said that “When something goes wrong we cannot accept cover-ups,” he said. “To be able to look into the future, the Church needs to come clean on its past.”
He expressed his concern without hesitation in the presence of an audience of royals, church officials, diplomats and politicians at Laeken Castle, the residence of Belgium’s royal family.
The royal palace wasn’t exempted from voicing their concerns and support for the victims of the sexual abuses scandal, the King Philippe of Belgium had tougher words for the pope when he addressed the issue of sexual abuse by priests, the king demanded the church work “incessantly” to atone for the crimes and help victims heal.
He further accused the church of failing to live up to its obligations and commitment as a safe sanctuary for the people of Belgium and beyond.
Belgium has experienced two decades of revelations of abuse and systematic cover-ups have devastated the hierarchy’s credibility and contributed to an overall decline in Catholicism and the influence of the once-powerful Catholic Church.
Belgium was rocked by a bombshell in 2010, when the country’s longest-serving bishop, Bruges Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, was allowed to resign without punishment after admitting he had sexually abused his nephew for 13 years.