Pope expresses gratitude for efforts to address abuse concerns in Belgium
Pope Francis applauded Belgium's initiatives in dealing with the sexual misconduct scandals plaguing the Catholic Church during his third day in the country, addressing the crowd at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels. He stated, "Misconduct inflicts immense suffering and inflicts deep wounds, threatening the journey of faith." Speaking to active members of the Church dedicated to social causes, he commended their efforts in turning resentment and pain into aid, companionship, and empathy. He stressed the importance of compassion to refrain from confronting victims' torment with an insensitive demeanor.
The day prior, Francis labelled misconduct within the Church as an "embarrassment" and proposed that the Church should embrace shame and ask for forgiveness, vowing to prevent a recurrence at any cost. Earlier, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo pushed for tangible solutions from the Pope during his welcome speech, employing notably severe language.
During his Friday evening engagement, Francis came face-to-face with fifteen victims of clerical misconduct in Belgium. He lauded their bravery and admitted feeling ashamed for the suffering they endured as youngsters at the hands of priests they had placed their trust in. According to Vatican sources, the meeting was described as "frank, challenging, and emotional" by a participant who spoke to the Belgian news agency Belga. It extended beyond the scheduled one-hour duration into a lengthy two-hour session.
Francis encouraged church members to continue their efforts in recycling the pain and resentment resulting from clerical misconduct into compassionate aid and empathy. Furthermore, he highlighted the significance of recycling shame into a driving force for preventing such misconduct in the future.
