Pope Francis presided over an open-air mass in Brussels, concluding a three-day visit to Belgium that addressed past scandals of child sexual abuse and ongoing debates about women's roles within the Catholic Church. Thousands gathered for the ceremony, with some expressing praise for the Pope's stance on migration and inclusivity.
Brussels, Belgium — Pope Francis presided over an open-air mass in Brussels on Sunday, capping a three-day visit to Belgium that grappled with past scandals and current debates over the role of women in the Catholic Church .
“He transmits all kinds of values,” Olivier Caillet, 44, from Brussels, said of the pope, praising his welcoming stance on migration. Francis’s visit, the first by a pope to Belgium since John Paul II in 1995, also highlighted the growing disconnect between the Vatican and some faithful in progressive, secular countries over issues such as gender inequality.
His response describing women as daughters, sisters and mothers upset some, with the university hosting the meeting later expressing its “incomprehension and disapproval” at the reductive view.
Pope Francis Belgium Catholic Church Women's Rights Child Sexual Abuse
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