Belgium urges the Pope to take concrete action on sexual abuse within RCC

Pope Francis. Photo: Reuters

During Pope Francis' visit to Belgium, King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo demanded more decisive actions from the head of the Catholic Church in addressing sexual abuse by Roman clergy, reports Reuters.

King Philippe stated that the Church had taken "far too long" to acknowledge and address numerous scandals. Prime Minister De Croo added that the Catholic Church "still has a long way to go" and emphasized that words alone are not enough, but concrete actions are required.

In response to these statements, Pope Francis reminded that the Church is addressing this issue firmly and decisively on a global level. Although he did not mention specific cases of abuse in Belgium, the pontiff acknowledged that the behavior of Catholic clergy represents "painful counter-testimonies" to the Church's teachings. He added that the Church "must be ashamed and ask forgiveness" for the abuse of minors, which he called a crime.

According to a Church report, more than 700 complaints on clergy abuse have been filed in Belgium since 2012.

Additionally, Pope Francis was urged to reconsider the Catholic Church's ban on the ordination of women as priests, which was also a relevant issue during his visit.

As the UOJ reported earlier, the head of the UGCC believes that there is no need to pay attention to the Pope's statements regarding the UOC.

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