Pope Francis highlighted Belgium’s position at the center of Europe as he met with the country’s civil authorities and denounced clerical sexual abuse as “the shame of the Church.” By Christopher Wells
In his address to civil authorities on his first full day in Belgium, Pope Francis praised Belgium as a bridge “between the continent and the British Isles, between the Germanic and French-speaking regions, and between southern and Northern Europe.”
Despite its small size, he said, Belgium is “a bridge that allows concord to spread and disputes to subside.”
Europe needs Belgium, he continued, to remind it of its history of peoples and cultures, cathedrals and universities, but also of dark periods of war, colonialism, and exploitation.
“Europe needs Belgium,” Pope Francis repeated, “to continue on the path of peace and fraternity among its peoples.”
The Holy Father reminded the civil leaders present that “peace and harmony are never won once and for all,” but involve “a duty and a mission that must be undertaken ceaselessly, with great care and patience.”
The role of the Church
In his address to the civil leaders, Pope Francis also highlighted the role of the Church in “helping everyone to face challenges and difficulties, not with frivolous enthusiasm or gloomy pessimism, but with the certainty that humanity, loved by God, is not destined to collapse into nothingness, but is eternally called to goodness and peace.”
He also frankly acknowledged that the Church, in its mission, must recognize the “fragility and deficiencies of its members,” and the “painful counter-testimonies” that appear throughout history.
The Pope noted especially “the tragic cases of child abuse, which are a plague on the Church,” while emphasizing the Church’s firm commitment to address the problem “by listening to and accompanying the wounded, and by implementing a prevention program throughout the world.”
Pope Francis also recalled the practice of “forced adoptions” that prevailed in the mid-20th century, acknowledging that it was often carried out with good intentions.
Regarding these and other evils that have occurred throughout history, the Pope prayed “that the Church may always find within herself the strength to bring clarity and never conform to the prevailing culture, even when the culture uses, in a manipulative way, values derived from the Gospel, drawing from them inauthentic conclusions that cause suffering and exclusion.”
Learning from history
Pope Francis concluded his remarks with the prayer “that the leaders of nations, looking at Belgium and its history, may learn from it.”
He prayed that political leaders would work for peace and know how to “avoid the danger, the misfortune and the absurdity of war.”
The Holy Father ended on a note of hope, recalling the motto of his visit, “En route, avec Espérance.” In the motto, “Hope,” is capitalized, he said, precisely to show that hope is not of secondary importance, but is “a gift from God that we carry in our hearts.”
“I would like to leave you, then, with the following wish for you and for all those who live in Belgium,” he said. “May you always ask for this gift of the Holy Spirit and receive it in order to walk together with hope on the path of life and history.”
