Belgian PM demands action from the Pope over sex abuse scandal

BRUSSELS — Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Friday told the Pope that the Catholic Church needs to do more to make amends for decades of clerical sexual abuse against children.

“Today, therefore, words alone are not enough, concrete steps must also be taken,” De Croo said during his meeting with Pope Francis and Belgium’s King Philippe at the Castle of Laeken in Brussels on Friday.

De Croo’s unusually blunt remarks were directed at the Pope as political and public tensions over sexual abuse overshadow the papal visit to Belgium. Several top Flemish politicians have boycotted a meeting Friday with the Pope, saying that the Church isn’t doing enough to deal with the problem.

“The victims must be heard. They should be central. They have a right to the truth. The wrongdoings must be acknowledged. And justice must be served,” said the Belgian prime minister. He added it was a “necessary step to regain trust.”

Speaking alongside De Croo, King Philippe also delivered a tough message to the Pope, demanding that the church would work “relentlessly” to compensate for its crimes and help the victims heal.

Historical sexual abuse by the Catholic clergy in Belgium exploded into public view in 2023 after a TV documentary highlighted the traumatic experiences of people who had been assaulted.

The filmmaker told POLITICO this week that, “Every day now … the victims are calling me and Ingrid [the documentary co-creator] because they’re very nervous, they are anxious again, angry again. They’re going through a difficult time now,” Daniëls said. “It’s a very, very strange week.”

During his own speech in Brussels, the Pope said that the issue of sexual abuse in the Church was “a shame” and asked for forgiveness.

“It’s a shame. A shame … It is today, in the Church itself, that this crime is taking place. The Church must be ashamed and ask for forgiveness and try to resolve this situation with Christian humility,” he said.

This story has been updated.