During a challenging visit to Belgium, Pope Francis faced strong criticism from the country’s king, prime minister, and a university rector regarding the Catholic Church’s handling of clergy sex abuse and its lack of progress on issues concerning women and the LGBTQ+ community.

Before meeting with 17 abuse survivors, who shared their trauma and demanded reparations, Francis expressed remorse and pledged to ensure such abuses do not occur again.

The criticism highlighted the church’s diminished moral authority due to ongoing abuse scandals, which have plagued Belgium for decades.

Both the king and prime minister urged the church to prioritize victims’ interests, with the prime minister emphasizing the need for transparency.

Survivors welcomed the public acknowledgment of their suffering but stressed that apologies must be accompanied by substantial financial reparations, the Associated Press has reported.

Francis committed to studying the victims’ requests for a universal reparations system and acknowledged the church’s shame, promising to address the abuse problem decisively.

Written by B.C. Begley