Pope Francis urged bishops not to cover up the sexual abuse of children during an open-air mass on Sunday, which marked the conclusion of his three-day visit to Belgium, a country still grappling with the aftermath of past scandals.
Under the clear morning sky, around 40,000 attendees, some waving Belgian and Vatican flags, filled the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels to hear the 87-year-old pontiff.
“There is no place for abuse, and no place for covering it up,” Francis declared in his homily. “I ask everyone not to cover up abuse. I ask bishops to condemn abusers and help them heal from this disease.”
During his visit, the pope faced pressure from Belgian authorities and victim advocacy groups regarding the Catholic Church’s handling of child sexual abuse. A recent documentary had reignited attention on the issue, leading to around 200 new allegations of abuse, adding to the 1,000 previously reported cases.
On Friday, Pope Francis met with 17 victims, sharing their pain. “I felt their suffering,” he said during Sunday’s mass. “Evil must not be hidden; it must be brought into the light and judged.”
The mass program had to be adjusted at the last minute when it was discovered that the closing hymn was composed by a priest accused of sexual abuse. This oversight led Archbishop Luc Terlinden, head of the Belgian bishops’ conference, to admit the Church’s need for better oversight of cases and offenders.
Despite the cloud of abuse scandals, the pope received a warm welcome at Sunday’s mass. Young people and families cheered as he toured the venue in his Popemobile.
“He embodies so many values,” said Olivier Caillet, 44, from Brussels, praising the pope’s openness to migrants. “He’s like the pope of surprises, always standing with the underprivileged and opening new possibilities.”
Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were present at the mass, during which Francis called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, as violence continued between Israel and Hezbollah.
“I call on all parties to cease fire immediately in Lebanon, Gaza, Palestine, and Israel,” the pope said. On his flight back to Rome, he condemned the “immoral” use of force in the region, emphasizing that “defence must always be proportional to the attack,” and criticizing any actions that go beyond moral limits.
The visit, the first by a pope to Belgium since John Paul II in 1995, also highlighted the growing divide between the Vatican and more progressive, secular societies on issues like gender inequality. During a candid exchange with students on Saturday, Francis was questioned about the role of women in the Church after praising a former monarch for opposing abortion.
His response, referring to women as daughters, sisters, and mothers, disappointed some, with the Catholic university hosting the event later expressing “incomprehension and disapproval” over the pontiff’s remarks.
“I don’t understand why women can’t become priests. It was a rule established based on societal norms of the time, but we’ve moved beyond that,” said Alice Vanwijnsberghe, an 18-year-old student who attended a festival for 6,000 young Catholics.
On his return flight, Francis lauded former Belgian King Baudouin’s decision to abdicate rather than sign an abortion law in 1990. “The king showed great courage by standing against that murderous law,” the pope remarked. “That takes real bravery.”