Students Challenge Church’s Gender Inequality
During his visit to Belgium’s Louvain Catholic University, Pope Francis was met with sharp criticism from students and professors. They questioned the Catholic Church’s lack of female representation in leadership and the disregard for women’s intellectual contributions. The students also raised concerns about pressing global issues, including social inequality and the climate crisis.
Criticism on Clergy Abuse and Inclusion
The pope’s visit was marked by widespread criticism, particularly regarding the Church’s handling of clergy sexual abuse and its exclusionary stance on women and the LGBTQ+ community. The Belgian public, students, and professors expressed frustration with the Church’s slow progress in addressing these issues.
Meeting with Abuse Survivors
Pope Francis spent two hours with 17 survivors of clergy sexual abuse, listening to their stories of trauma and shame. The survivors demanded reparations, and the pope expressed his remorse, promising to ensure that such abuses would never happen again. His words echoed previous apologies made during visits to countries with similar dark histories of Church abuse.
Public Figures Demand Church Reform
In a rare break from protocol, Belgium’s King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo addressed the pope directly, urging him to take “concrete steps” to acknowledge the full extent of the abuse scandal. De Croo emphasized the need for truth and transparency, asserting that the Church must prioritize victims over its own interests.
Academic Leaders Call for Gender Reform
Luc Sels, rector of the university, boldly questioned the pope on the Church’s resistance to change, especially regarding the role of women. Sels argued that the Church’s moral authority could be strengthened if it embraced gender diversity and inclusivity, reflecting the progressive views of modern society and younger Catholics.
Survivors Demand Compensation
While many survivors appreciated the pope’s words, they stressed that apologies were not enough. Survivors like Koen Van Sumere called for substantial financial compensation, pointing out that the settlements so far amounted to little more than charity. They urged the Church to take real responsibility for the damage caused by decades of abuse.
Pope Pledges to Address the Scandal
In response to the overwhelming criticism, Pope Francis went off-script to express his deep shame over the abuse scandals. He emphasized that the Church must continue to ask for forgiveness and work with humility to prevent such atrocities from happening again, promising that the Vatican would consider the survivors’ demands for reparations.
SOURCE: Ref Image from The Independent
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