Pope Commits to Eradicating 'Plague' of Sexual Misconduct Following Sincere Appeal from Belgium's Prime Minister
On a Friday, Frank was conversing with political leaders at the Belgian King's official residence, a place that's seen its share of heartbreaking clerical abuse scandals in recent times.
Before he took the floor, both the Belgian monarch and Prime Minister Alexander de Croo mentioned the issue in their speeches. The prime minister even directed his comments towards the pope, emphasizing how the abuse crisis has become a major topic of discussion in Belgian national circles.
"You pledge commitment to fairness and equality," the prime minister stated to Frank. "Yet, the journey is long. We can't tolerate concealing wrongdoings. It damages the hard work of everyone. Hence, words alone aren't sufficient today. Practical measures are demanded. The victims should be heard. They deserve a prominent position. They possess the right to the truth."
He further elucidated, "For progress, the Church must clarify its history."
In his speech, Frank drew parallels between the church's abuse crisis and the biblical tale of King Herod ordering the execution of all male children aged two and above.
"This is the disgrace, the disgrace we need to confront today and seek forgiveness for, the shame of abuse, child abuse," the pope asserted. "We recall the period of the 'Holy Innocents' and say 'what a tragedy. What did King Herod do?' But today, within the Church itself, there exists this crime."
He added, "The Church must be ashamed, seek forgiveness, and endeavor to resolve this situation with Christian humility, placing all necessary resources where required to prevent such occurrences from happening again."
At 87, the venerable pontiff, who had visited Luxembourg prior to Belgium, reiterated that abuse is a persistent, malevolent issue that the church is determined to eradicate by listening to and supporting the wounded, and by implementing a worldwide prevention program.
Disturbing instances of clerical sexual abuse have surfaced in Belgium over the past three decades, including the case of a former episcopal figure who abused his two nephews. This issue has cast a long shadow over the Pope's visit, during which Frank was likewise scheduled to meet 15 abuse survivors.
Meanwhile, the Belgian church has also been embroiled in a forced adoption scandal. An investigation by a Flemish newspaper suspected that Belgian nuns were involved in approximately 30,000 instances where newborns were separated from their mothers between 1945 and 1980. Most of the cases involved unmarried women who wished to keep their pregnancies concealed from society.
Frank also spoke about this scandal, expressing his sympathies. "I was saddened to learn about the practice of 'forced adoptions' that occurred in Belgium between the 1950s and 1970s. In these poignant narratives, we witness how the bitter fruit of wrongdoing and criminality was intertwined with societal norms at the time."
The pope continued, "These instances arose due to the belief that surrendering children for adoption was a means to evade the unfortunate stigma faced by 'unmarried mothers.'"
He concluded, "The lesson from the adoption scandal is for the church never to conform to society's prevailing norms, even if they appear to align with the church's values. This can happen manipulatively, leading to suffering and exclusion."
The prime minister highlighted how the church's abuse crisis has become a significant topic of discussion not just within Belgium, but also in the wider European and world communities. Frank later mentioned the forced adoption scandal, a problem that was prevalent in Belgium and other European countries during the mid-20th century.
