Belgian victims of sexual abuse write open letter to Pope
Several victims of sexual abuse within the Church have sent an open letter to Pope Francis ahead of his upcoming visit to Belgium. The letter, published in Le Soir, asks the Pope to understand the victims' pain and outlines their demands.
Pope Francis will visit Belgium from 26 to 29 September. The announcement was met with mixed reactions, as the country has recently been re-examining its history of sexual abuse within the Church.
"Although you have repeatedly addressed this issue with clarity and conviction, you have never addressed us, the victims"
In an open letter, several Belgian victims call on the Pope to speak out clearly about this abuse during his visit. "Although you have repeatedly addressed this issue with clarity and conviction, you have never addressed us, the victims, more precisely all the survivors," they write.
Path of liberation
The signatories also make a number of recommendations to prevent and detect sexual abuse within the Church, including "in-depth work" in dioceses and a "profound reflection" on the celibacy of priests.
During his visit, the Pope will hold a private audience with several victims. "This meeting should not be the end of the story, but rather the beginning of a much-needed path of liberation for hundreds of thousands of people," the letter reads.
Secret meeting
Exactly where and when the Pope will meet the victims remains a secret. For priest Rik Devillé, a prominent advocate for abuse victims, this shows that the Church "wants to hide everything again, as it did during his meetings with victims in Canada and Ireland".
"This silence is problematic because it continues to give power to the perpetrators"
Devillé, therefore, has low expectations for the meeting. "The Pope will be nice, shake hands, hand out a paternoster and then go back to Rome and nothing will happen. This silence is problematic because it continues to give power to the perpetrators. The victims would like to take control, but the bishops don't want that," he said.
© PHOTO TIZIANA FABI / AFP
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