The Pope says the Church must “seek forgiveness” for child sexual abuse

During his visit to Belgium, where the church’s dark past is emerging, Pope Francis said Friday that the Catholic Church must “seek forgiveness” over the “scourge” of child sexual abuse.

In a speech before political leaders and civil society that began his three-day visit to the country, Francis condemned “tragic cases of child abuse” as a stain on the church’s legacy.

“This is our shame and our humiliation,” Francis told the crowd at the royal residence in Laeken Palace.

“The church must be ashamed and seek forgiveness,” he said.

The 87-year-old pope is scheduled to meet in Brussels this afternoon with a group of clergy sexual assault survivors as part of a three-day visit to a European country marked by decades of scandal and cover-up.

According to the Belgian church, the meeting with about 15 victims, which took place at 6:30 p.m. (16:30 GMT) at the Vatican’s diplomatic mission, took place in “absolute discretion.”

It was organized after a highly effective documentary last year put the Belgian molestation scandal back in the headlines, prompting a number of new victims to come forward.

In an open letter published this month by Le Soir newspaper, some demanded that the pope address pedophilia and initiate a process for financial reparations.

“Words alone are not enough. Concrete measures must also be taken,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in the preamble to the pope’s speech.

The pope said the abuse scandal is “a scourge against which the Church is fighting resolutely and resolutely, listening to and accompanying those who have been wounded, and implementing a preventive program throughout the world.”

Forced adoptions

Francis has made combating sexual assault in the church a central mission of his papacy and has insisted on a “zero tolerance” policy in the face of widespread abuse scandals around the world.

During his speech, Francis also said he was “saddened” by the news of the forced adoption scandal in Belgium, in which institutions run by nuns gave away the children of thousands of underage girls and unmarried women.

“We see how the bitter fruits of wrongdoing and criminality mixed with the view that unfortunately prevailed in all parts of society at that time,” he said.

The Belgian news portal HLN estimates that between 1945 and 1980, up to 30,000 children were taken from their mothers in Belgium.

Bishops in Belgium apologized in 2023 and asked for an independent investigation after new testimonies emerged from women and people claiming they were “sold” by the Catholic Church to an adoptive family.

De Croo said child sexual abuse and forced adoptions had “severely damaged trust” between the church and society.

That the work is not yet done is demonstrated by the fact that the program for the outdoor Mass at the end of Francis’ Sunday journey had to be changed at the last minute when it was revealed that the closing hymn was composed by a priest accused of sexual abuse.

The mistake prompted the president of the Belgian Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Luc Terlinden, to admit that the Church needs to better monitor cases and perpetrators.

“It’s a big challenge for us, but we have to think about it seriously with the help of lawyers and psychologists,” he told a local broadcaster. The composer, who died this month, reportedly settled a 2002 sexual abuse case.

On the decline

The Argentine pope arrived in Belgium on Thursday evening after spending the day in neighboring Luxembourg, where he called for international diplomacy in the face of worsening conflicts around the world.

He was greeted by King Philippe and Queen Matilda, who hosted him on Friday morning, and will then go to meet academics at the Catholic University of Leuven in Dutch-speaking Flanders, whose 600th anniversary next year is an official reason to visit.

On Saturday, his 46th foreign trip, Francis will meet with clergy in the cavernous Basilica of the Sacred Heart, then hold discussions with students in Louvain-la-Neuve in French-speaking Wallonia, especially on climate issues.

The last papal visit to Brussels took place in 1995, when John Paul II participated in the beatification of Saint. Damian, who devoted his life to lepers.

According to data from the University of Louvain, almost 65 percent of Belgium’s population is Christian, including 58 percent Catholics.

However, their numbers are decreasing, reflecting the decline across Europe.

During his weekly general audience, Francis expressed hope that his visit would be “an opportunity for a new impulse of faith.”