The spiritual leader of Catholics, Pope Francis, emphasized the need for the Church to feel ashamed and ask for forgiveness due to scandals involving child abuse and forced adoption in Belgium.

Pope Francis organized a three-day visit to Belgium for the 600th anniversary celebrations of the Catholic University of Leuven.

During his visit, the Pope participated in a program at the Royal Palace. Speaking at the event attended by Belgium’s King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, Pope Francis pointed out Belgium as an example of a country living peacefully with its neighbors after wars.

CHURCH CHILD ABUSE SCANDAL Pope Francis also referred to the scandals that shook the headlines last year in the country. He stated, “The Church should feel ashamed and seek forgiveness,” emphasizing the need to make efforts to prevent such incidents from happening again.

It was revealed that children in the Catholic Church had been subjected to sexual abuse by clergy for years, and children born out of wedlock between 1945-1980 were given up for adoption by the Church. It is expected that during the Pope’s visit, he will meet with the victims of these incidents.