September 27th 2024.
On Friday, the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, addressed Pope Francis directly and criticized the Catholic Church for its history of sexual abuse and cover-ups in the country. He demanded that the church take concrete steps to acknowledge and make amends for its past actions, prioritizing the needs of the victims over those of the church.
De Croo's speech, delivered at the beginning of the Pope's visit, was one of the most direct and forceful statements ever made to the Pope during a foreign trip. It was a departure from the usual diplomatic protocol, where public criticism is avoided. Even King Philippe had strong words for Francis, urging the church to work tirelessly to address the crimes and support the healing of the victims.
These statements highlight the sensitivity and ongoing impact of the abuse scandal in Belgium. The revelations of abuse and cover-ups over the past two decades have severely damaged the credibility of the church hierarchy and contributed to a decline in Catholicism and the church's influence.
Pope Francis graciously applauded at the end of De Croo's speech and was scheduled to meet with victims in private later that day. In response to the Prime Minister's words, he acknowledged the shame and humiliation felt by the church and stressed the need for concrete actions to be taken.
De Croo's speech, given in the presence of royals, church officials, diplomats, and politicians at Laeken Castle, emphasized the importance of listening to and centering the victims. He also emphasized the need for the church to take responsibility for its past actions and not resort to cover-ups when mistakes are made.
The statements from both sides were well received by victims, with survivor Emmanuel Henckens stating that they addressed the root of the problem and brought attention to an issue that can no longer be ignored. Another survivor, Koen Van Sumere, emphasized the need for the church to go beyond mere words and provide substantial reparations to the victims. He also called for a universal church system of reparations to be established, something that the Vatican has been reluctant to do.
The abuse scandal in Belgium has been ongoing for over 25 years, with new revelations coming to light in 2010 when the country's longest-serving bishop, Bruges Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, admitted to sexually abusing his nephew for 13 years. Despite this, he was allowed to resign without punishment. It wasn't until earlier this year that Pope Francis defrocked him, likely in an effort to address the ongoing outrage among Belgians before his visit.
In 2010, Belgian police conducted unprecedented raids on church offices, the home of a retired archbishop, and even the crypt of a prelate. The Vatican denounced these actions as "deplorable." In the same year, a 200-page report was released, revealing that 507 people had come forward with stories of being molested by priests, some as young as two years old. The report also identified at least 13 suicides and six attempted suicides by victims.
However, victims and advocates believe that this report only scratches the surface of the true extent of the abuse. The police returned the documents seized during the 2010 raids to the church, leading to the abandonment of any hopes of criminal investigations.
Last year, a Flemish documentary called "Godvergeten" was broadcasted on public television, featuring Belgian victims sharing their stories of abuse and the systematic cover-up by the Catholic hierarchy. This was the first time that Belgian victims spoke out publicly, bringing attention to the scope of the scandal and its impact on their community.
Interestingly, both King Philippe and De Croo delivered their strongest statements about abuse in Dutch, the language spoken in the predominantly Catholic region of Flanders, where the abuse cases have gained the most notoriety. Their more neutral remarks were delivered in French and German.
De Croo's speech went against the usual Vatican protocol, where only the King would address the Pope. However, his office had requested that he be allowed to speak, similar to when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the Pope alongside the country's governor-general during a visit to Canada.
Pope Francis also mentioned the issue of abuse in his remarks, stating that the church is taking firm and decisive actions to address the problem, including implementing prevention programs and supporting victims in their journey towards healing. However, after the Prime Minister and King's powerful statements, the Pope went off-script and expressed the church's shame and commitment to ending the scandal.
Victims have called for the church to do more, including implementing comprehensive reparations programs to compensate them for their trauma and to cover the costs of lifelong therapy. Some victims planned to deliver a letter to the Pope during their private meeting, calling for such a program.
During his speech, the Pope also addressed another scandal currently rocking Belgium, the forced adoptions of babies born to single mothers by the Catholic Church after World War II until the 1980s. These mothers were often coerced into giving up their babies, and the records have since been lost, making it nearly impossible for the adopted children to find their birth mothers.
Pope Francis expressed sadness at these practices and acknowledged that they were part of a larger societal issue at the time. He also referred to a similar scandal in Ireland, where forced adoptions also took place. In 2018, during a visit to Ireland, the Pope apologized on behalf of the church for this issue.
As an Argentine, the Pope is familiar with forced adoptions, given Argentina's history of such actions during the military dictatorship in the 1970s.
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