BRUGES (BELGIUM)
Infovaticana [Madrid, España]
July 4, 2026
By Infovaticana
Roger Vangheluwe, Bishop Emeritus of Bruges and expelled from the clerical state in 2024 by decision of Pope Francis after admitting to sexual abuse committed against several minors, passed away this Friday at the age of 89. The news was confirmed by the Belgian Episcopal Conference, which acknowledged that his death may reawaken the pain of the victims of sexual abuse committed within the Church.
The Vangheluwe case marked a turning point for the Catholic Church in Belgium. His confession in 2010 triggered a wide-ranging judicial investigation into sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy and opened one of the greatest institutional crises experienced by the Church in the country in recent decades.
The admission of abuse led to an unprecedented investigation
In April 2010, Vangheluwe admitted to having sexually abused his nephew, who was a minor when the acts began. The abuse occurred both before and after his appointment as Bishop of Bruges in 1984, which led to his resignation.
That confession gave rise to the so-called Operation Chalice, a police and judicial investigation aimed at clarifying cases of sexual abuse in the Belgian Church. As part of that operation, searches were carried out at the General Archives of the Kingdom, at several episcopal and archiepiscopal sees, and at the home and office of then-Cardinal Godfried Danneels.
Two years later, during a search of the former bishop’s computer, authorities found pornographic images, according to Belgian judicial authorities at the time.
Expelled from the clerical state by Pope Francis
After his resignation, the Holy See ordered Vangheluwe to leave Belgium and undergo psychological treatment. Since 2010 he had lived in France, and in recent years he remained retired at the Benedictine Abbey of Solesmes, near the Belgian border.
In 2011, during an interview with the Flemish channel VT4, he also admitted to having abused two of his cousins.
After sending a letter to Pope Francis in 2023, the Pontiff decreed a year later his expulsion from the clerical state, the maximum canonical penalty for a bishop or priest. The sanction entailed the loss of all rights and duties inherent to the priestly ministry.
A case that transformed the debate on abuse in Belgium
The impact of the Vangheluwe case extended beyond the ecclesiastical sphere. His resignation triggered a flood of complaints to the commission created by the Belgian Church to assist victims of abuse and sparked a broad public debate on the response of institutions to these crimes.
In October 2023, the Belgian Parliament established a commission of inquiry into sexual abuse committed by members of the Church, following the broadcast of a television documentary in which several victims recounted their experiences.
According to data from the Catholic Church in Belgium, nearly 1,400 complaints of sexual abuse have been received in recent years, most referring to incidents that occurred more than three decades ago.
Message from the Episcopal Conference
After announcing the death of the former bishop, the Belgian Episcopal Conference acknowledged that the news “may provoke a new wave of emotions among the victims.”
“The bishops recognize the lasting suffering caused by sexual abuse committed within the Church and reiterate their commitment to acknowledge and assist the victims,” the statement issued by the Belgian episcopate reads.