BRUSSELS (BELGIUM)
La Croix International [Montrouge Cedex, France]
September 27, 2024
By Mikael Corre (in Brussels)
Belgium’s authorities rather directly called on Francis to “hear the cry” of the victims of pedocriminality, as well as of “forced adoptions.” The pope, who spoke of the Church’s “shame,” is expected to meet 15.
The Belgian downpour that had greeted Francis the previous day on the tarmac of a military airport, accompanied by a warm, multicultural choir from Molenbeek, had dissipated. But at the Château of Laeken (Brussels), the royal residence where the pope addressed Belgian authorities on Friday, September 27, the atmosphere was somewhat tense, matching the gravity of the morning’s topics, during which Francis was politely questioned.
“What a joy to welcome you here among us, nearly 30 years after the visit of Pope John Paul II,” King Philippe cordially began, before quickly addressing the issue that has been stirring the Belgian press and the entire society since the airing of a Flemish television documentary featuring victims in October 2023.
“Holy Father, you have uncompromisingly denounced the unspeakable tragedy of sexual abuse within the ecclesial institution,” emphasized the King of the Belgians in Dutch, who plays an important role in uniting French and Dutch speakers. “Children were horribly scarred, marked for life. The same is true for the victims of forced adoption,” he said.
Further reading: Refugees, sexual abuse: The challenges of the pope’s trip to Belgium and Luxembourg
This issue, less well-known outside of Belgium, involves thousands of young girls who were forced, sometimes by their families, to place their children in religious institutions. The phenomenon allegedly spanned from World War II to the 1970s and remains difficult to quantify.
According to the Belgian newspaper HLN, some 30,000 children were taken from their mothers, although the church has not been able to confirm this. In Belgium, this vast scandal was exacerbated by the fact that some of these children were later sold.
Unacceptable cover-up
“It took so long for their cries to be heard,” King Philippe continued in front of the pope. “It took so long to attempt to ‘repair’ the irreparable. We know of the efforts of the church in Belgium to work in this direction. These efforts must continue resolutely, without relent,” he said.
The meeting continued in the same tone. Like the king, Belgian Prime minister Alexander De Croo focused his remarks on “the many cases of sexual abuse and forced adoptions [which] have severely undermined trust” in the church. Nonetheless, he noted that the church had committed to “a fair approach,” but also stated that “there is still a long way to go.”
“The ministers of the church work with conviction and charity. But when something goes wrong, we cannot accept that it be hidden,” he said, delivering this part of his speech in Dutch, like the king—a sign that the issue is particularly sensitive in Flanders. “Today, words alone are not enough,” Alexander De Croo added firmly. “Concrete measures must also be taken. Victims must be heard (…). They have the right to the truth. The reprehensible acts must be acknowledged. And there must be justice.”
From the small red stage nestled between towering columns of the same color where the three men stood, Pope Francis, still seated, took a few minutes to adjust his microphone before beginning to read his speech, which was prepared on much broader themes. “The church must be ashamed and ask for forgiveness, and seek to resolve this situation with Christian humility, doing everything possible to ensure it does not happen again,” he declared concerning sexual violence against minors.
“In the church, we must ask for forgiveness”
He assured that the church was tackling this “scourge”—which he also called a “crime” and a “tragedy”—with determination, by accompanying the victims and implementing prevention programs worldwide.
“I hear some say to me: ‘but according to the statistics, the vast majority of abuse happens within families, neighborhoods, or in the world of sports or education…,’” he improvised. “But one single case [in the church] would be enough to bring shame! In the church, we must ask for forgiveness for this,” he said, noting that every institution must apologize for the crimes for which it is responsible.
Further reading: Sexual Abuse: ‘Lies, silence, and contempt for victims are unworthy of the church’
Later on September 27, in the evening, Francis is expected to meet privately with 15 victims of sexual violence at a location the archdiocese has chosen not to disclose. At the royal residence, he also expressed his “sadness” over “the tragedy of forced adoptions.”
“In these painful stories, the bitter fruit of a crime was mixed with what was unfortunately the result of a mentality that was widespread in all layers of society,” he said. “Often, the family and other social actors, including the Church, thought that to eliminate the negative stigma that, unfortunately at the time, struck the single mother, it was better for the good of both the mother and child that the latter be adopted.”
It remains to be seen whether these words and the upcoming meeting will be enough on issues where Francis is eagerly awaited in Belgium.