Pope’s Belgium visit overshadowed by church abuse scandals
Pope Francis is due to visit Belgium this week, marking the 600th anniversary of the Catholic University of Leuven. The visit, however, has sparked controversy amid sexual abuse scandals.
From Thursday to Sunday, Pope Francis will visit Belgium for the 600th anniversary of the institution, which is now two universities: the Dutch-language KU Leuven and the francophone UCLouvain in Louvain-la-Neuve.
During his three-day visit, the Pope will meet King Philippe and other Belgian leaders, as well as students. The highlight of the trip will be a mass for 37,500 people at King Baudouin Stadium on Sunday.
The visit, however, comes amid controversy over sexual abuse in the Church. In last year's Godvergeten, a VRT documentary in which victims testified about abuse in the church, cover-ups were painfully exposed and questions were asked about the lack of justice and recognition.
Celebration and reflection
Following the outcry, the pope said he would meet 15 victims of sexual abuse on Friday afternoon "in complete discretion". However, the fact that the Pope is only meeting with some victims, and that it will be in discretion, has caused further controversy.
What's more, the Belgian Church has not managed to put an end to “the clerical culture of which abuse is a heinous outgrowth”.
Until last week, for instance, an obituary full of praise appeared on the Bishops' Conference website about a priest offender in a known abuse case. On the electoral list of the Priest Council, the body that advises the Archbishop of Brussels-Mechelen, there were three more perpetrators of sexual abuse known to the church in May.
Pope Francis’ visit will be a moment of both celebration and reflection. While the university's anniversary is a milestone in Belgium’s Catholic history, the visit brings to the forefront the Church’s internal struggles.
#FlandersNewsService | Pope Francis arrives for the weekly general audience at Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican © PHOTO VINCENZO PINTO / AFP
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