To address the theme of sexual assault involving religious representatives, the 87-year-old Argentine Jesuit described the Church as “holy” and “sinful” at the same time. “A perpetual coexistence of shadow and light,” he illustrated.
Referring to sexual assault on minors, he stressed that it was “within the Church itself” that “this crime” took place. “This crime exists.” “The Church must be ashamed, ask for forgiveness and must absolutely resolve this issue with Christian humility,” he added. Without going into detail, he called for “all possibilities to ensure that this no longer happens.”
“This is our shame and our humiliation,” he insisted, improvising his speech.
“A tragedy without a name”, “we cannot accept”: King Philippe and Alexander De Croo did not spare the Pope on the abuses of the Church
At the same time, the pope assured that the Church was tackling “with determination and firmness” the “scourge” of sexual violence against minors, “by listening to and accompanying those injured and by implementing a vast program of prevention throughout the world.
Pope Francis also said he was “saddened” by “the phenomenon of forced adoptions” of children, torn from their mothers with the complicity of nuns, which “also occurred in Belgium”, between the end of the Second World War and the 1980s.
“In these painful stories the bitter fruit of a crime was mixed with what was unfortunately the result of a mentality widespread in all layers of society,” he added, without presenting any details. apologies to the victims.
“Often, the family and other social actors, including the Church, thought that to eliminate the negative stigma, which unfortunately hit the single mother at the time, it was preferable for the good of both, of the mother and of the child, that the latter be adopted”, added the pope in front of the assembly, where there were victims of these adoptions.
Complimentary qualifiers for Belgium
Note that the Pope did not fail to have a few “tender” words towards the country which welcomed him. Thus, he praised Belgium, the seat of European institutions to which major countries have turned with confidence.
“We then understand how big little Belgium is!” continued the sovereign pontiff. “We understand that Europe needs it to remember its history […] to move forward on the path to peace.”
Pope’s visit to Belgium: follow the story of Friday live
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