Belgium is once again confronting its horrific legacy of clergy sex abuse and institutional cover-up as Pope Francis prepares to visit the country. The Pope is set to meet with abuse survivors and has been asked to launch a universal system of church reparations. The country has been rocked by numerous scandals, leading to a parliamentary investigation into how law enforcement authorities bungled a criminal investigation in 2010.
The visit comes after a quarter-century of revelations, including the resignation of the longest-serving bishop in Belgium in 2010 after admitting to sexually abusing his nephew. A recent documentary shows the extent of the scandal and cover-up by the Catholic hierarchy, leading to public outrage and further inquiries into the abuse. The Belgian public remains bitter over the handling of the abuse cases by both the church authorities and Pope Francis himself.
Although initially meant to commemorate the 600th anniversary of Belgium’s two Catholic universities, the trip is overshadowed by the country’s abuse record. The Pope has acknowledged the difficulty and is expected to address the issue during his visit. Various bishops have withdrawn from papal events due to their connections to known abusers, further highlighting the deep-rooted issues within the Belgian Catholic Church. The papal trip is expected to be met with a somber reception amid increased awareness and scrutiny of Belgium’s tragic history of clergy sex abuse.
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