Belgium’s prime minister blasted Pope Francis for the Catholic Church’s horrific legacy of clerical sex abuse and cover-ups, demanding “concrete steps” to come clean with the past and put victims’ interests ahead those of the institution.
The blistering welcome speech on Friday by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo at the start of Francis’ visit was one of the most pointed ever directed at the pope during a foreign trip, where the genteel dictates of diplomatic protocol usually keeps outrage out of the public speeches.
But even King Philippe had strong words for Francis, demanding the church work “incessantly” to atone for the crimes and help victims heal.
Their tone underscored just how raw the abuse scandal still is in Belgium, where two decades of revelations of abuse and systematic cover-ups have devastated the hierarchy’s credibility and contributed to an overall decline in Catholicism and the influence of the once-powerful Catholic Church.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo addresses Belgium’s authorities and civil society, next to Belgian King Philippe and Pope Francis, in Brussels on Friday. Photo: Reuters
“Today, words alone do not suffice. We also need concrete steps,” De Croo said.
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Publish date : 2024-09-27 03:55:00
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