“For a foreign head of state to make this type of comment about the laws of our country is totally unacceptable. » Questioned with a certain virulence, Thursday October 3, in the Chamber of Deputies on the subject of Pope Francis’ remarks on abortion, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo did not mince his words.
“We have no lessons to learn regarding the voting of democratic laws by parliamentarians. The days when the Church dictated the agenda of political work are over”he insisted, criticizing at the same time the way in which she dealt with sexual violence within her. He also assured that he had “ invited the apostolic nuncio for an interview » to express his dissatisfaction.
“Great discomfort”
What are the reasons for this indignation which is so agitating the Belgian political and media world? During his eventful trip to Belgium, from September 26 to 29, the pope described “killer law” the legislation passed in 1990 in Belgium decriminalizing abortion. On the plane taking him back to Rome, he insisted. “Abortion is homicide!” “, qualifying – as he had already done in the past – “the doctors who lend themselves to this” of « hitmen » (“hitmen”in Italian). Francis also praised the courage of Baudouin, king of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993, a fervent Catholic who abdicated the throne for thirty-six hours so as not to have to sign the promulgation of this law, even wishing to open his process for beatification.
The Pope’s remarks, in line with his positions since his election and that of the Catholic Church on substance, but in a very vigorous style, have awakened the divisions in a very de-Christianized Belgian society. Especially since the extension of the legal period for voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion) to 18 weeks – compared to 12 currently – is currently being discussed.
In the Belgian general press, Francis’ trip is essentially summarized in controversies on abortion or the place of women. The day after the Pope’s visit, the editorial on the front page of the newspaper The eveningthe main French-speaking daily, is thus titled: “In Belgium, it is not the pope who makes the law, hallelujah! » On RTBF, Bertrand Henne, in his political editorial “Morning First”, he talks about “great discomfort” and states that “this visit leaves a mixed feeling, almost of embarrassment, of a pope out of step with a largely secularized Belgian society.”
The Belgian Church placed overhang
How did the Belgian Church, marked by a culture of compromise and dialogue, react? Already, the controversy has largely pushed into the background a trip where Francis notably celebrated mass at the King Baudoin stadium in Brussels in front of nearly 40,000 people and where the pope generally showed himself, in the eyes of Belgian observers, to be the height of expectations on the issue of abuse.
The controversy has clearly placed the Belgian Church at odds, which fears that these comments on a delicate ethical subject will further widen the gap with society. Some activist movements such as the Secular Action Center have shared demands for “debaptization”. “The dialogue appears more difficult than a week ago and the task of the bishops is more complicatedassures Vincent Delcorps, editorial director of the Catholic media CathoBel. The Church in Belgium did not expect it, instead hoping for a new lease of life from the pope’s visit. » Belgian Catholic observers speak of “waste”.
If the French-speaking spokesperson for the Conference of Bishops, Father Tommy Scholtes, explained, in comments reported by RTBF, that the pope “has the right to have an opinion” and that “ in the Catholic Church, the opinion is that abortion and euthanasia raise serious questions,” other voices have clearly distanced themselves, highlighting the existence of different ecclesial sensibilities. Father Gabriel Ringlet did not hesitate to sharply criticize the Pope’s remarks, which he considered “insulting for doctors who are attentive to entirely real suffering and who also work within a legal framework”. « Ethics may require in certain circumstances the transgression of a situation”he added, citing certain cases of abortion or euthanasia.
Accustomed to intervening in public debates and involved in the Belgian National Committee in charge of the Pope’s trip to Belgium, Father Éric de Beukelaer defended Francis on his blog. “Whatever our opinions on abortion, it is not simply a reproductive health right, as some claimassures the vicar general of the diocese of Liège. Abortion is a serious act where the unborn life is at stake. Disguising this reality means truncating any debate about it. »
For him, the pope like “spiritual personality” can, “and even must”, question the laws, “whether in Lampedusa for migrants or in Belgium for bioethics”. “The dayhe writes, where the Church will no longer be subject to opposition and debate, it will be because it will have given up trying to shake consciences – in the manner of Jesus. »
