Vatican City: Pope Francis's recent visit to Belgium was marked by significant challenges, primarily due to the country's troubling history of clerical sexual abuse and its increasingly secular society. On Sunday, the pontiff called for an end to the cover-up of sexual abuse within the Church, demanding that both abusive clergy and their bishops be held accountable as per BBC News. Speaking to a crowd of around 39,000 at Belgium’s King Baudouin Stadium, he emphasized, “Evil must not be hidden. Evil must be brought out into the open.” Photo courtesy: BBC News.

Throughout his homily, the Pope underscored the importance of mercy for those who have made mistakes and compassion for those suffering. Despite the warm reception from the crowd, his visit was overshadowed by the legacy of child sexual abuse, with voices from Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, the King of Belgium, and survivors themselves urging for compensation for the victims.

The primary purpose of the trip was to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Leuven/Louvain Catholic University, the oldest Catholic university in the world. Belgium's history with clerical abuse is well-documented, notably with the case of Bruges bishop Roger Vangheluwe, who retired quietly in 2010 after admitting to abusing his nephew for 13 years. This year, the Pope defrocked him, a move seen as a significant step in addressing the Church's longstanding issues.

While the Pope's message of accountability resonated, he faced pointed calls for gender reform from Belgium's intellectual circles. He has previously ruled out the ordination of women as priests and has not yet changed his stance on allowing women to serve as deacons, who perform many similar tasks to priests. In fact, he has taken the issue of women’s roles off the agenda for the upcoming synod in Rome, citing its complexity.

Following the Mass, Pope Francis recited the Angelus prayer with the Belgian faithful and expressed his deep concern over the escalating conflict in the Middle East, calling for an immediate ceasefire. He concluded his visit by departing from Brussels aboard the papal plane, bound for Rome, where he was honoured with a farewell ceremony at Melsbroek Air Base.