Pope Francis concluded a trip to Belgium where he encountered some of the most direct criticism he's faced during international visits. Belgian dignitaries and university officials criticized his handling of clergy abuse allegations and stance on women in the church.
BRUSSELS — Pope Francis on Sunday wrapped up a weekend trip to Belgium , where he faced some of the strongest criticism yet levied during one of his foreign trips.The 87-year-old pontiff was pressed by high-profile figures at three of the five major events on his three-day visit in unusual and sometimes fierce language for a papal trip.
The visit was meant to focus on the 600th anniversary of the two Catholic universities.Francis has also faced such criticism on previous tours, especially on the issue of clergy sexual abuse. On a trip to Chile in 2018 groups of demonstrators protested outside his events and Catholic churches were attacked before his visit.But the Pope, leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, is not usually confronted directly in public by political leaders or Catholic officials organizing his events.
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