Pope Francis concludes visit to Belgium with mass at King Baudouin Stadium
Pope Francis ended his visit to Belgium on Sunday morning with a mass in the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels in front of around 39,000 people. During the celebration, he announced that he would begin the process for the beatification of King Baudouin.
Pope Francis began the mass with the beatification of Anna of Jesus. The Spanish Carmelite founded or helped found convents in Antwerp, Tournai, Mechelen and Ghent and died in Brussels in 1621.
He also spoke out in favour of undocumented migrants who, "like all of us, dream of a better future for themselves and their loved ones". He pleaded against selfishness and indifference and for humility.
Pope addresses sexual abuse
The Pope also addressed the issue of sexual abuse during the mass. This has received a lot of attention in Belgium following the broadcast of a documentary that exposed the cover-up of sexual abuse cases by the Catholic Church and the lack of prosecution of perpetrators. On Friday, the Pope met with victims of sexual abuse.
"The many cases of sexual abuse in our society are terrible," the Pope said in the stadium. "The perpetrators must be condemned; this requires courage. Those who commit abuse must be brought to justice, whether they are lay people, priests or bishops."
Beatification of Baudouin
The Pope concluded the mass by announcing that he would begin the process for the beatification of King Baudouin. In 1990, the deeply religious monarch said he would rather abdicate than sign a bill legalising abortion. The Pope praised him for his "courage to temporarily abdicate in order not to have to sign a murderous law".
The Pope then went to Melsbroek military airport, from where he left for Rome. He was greeted by Belgian ecclesiastical and political authorities during a short farewell ceremony.
© BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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