Belgium: Vangheluwe dismissed from clerical state for abuse

By Salvatore Cernuzio

The decades-long case of 87-year-old Belgian Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, who was found guilty of sexual abuse of minors, has ended with his dismissal from the clerical state.

According to a statement from the Apostolic Nunciature in Brussels, Pope Francis on Thursday, 21 March, imposed the sentence on the former bishop of Bruges, who had resigned as head of the diocese in April 2010 after being accused of historical abuse.

Vangheluwe admitted, in particular, to having abused one of his nephews. The crimes of which he was accused, however, were barred under the statute of limitations.

New elements in the case

The statement from the Brussels Nunciature indicated that, over the past few months, “serious new elements” concerning the matter had emerged and were “reported to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, making it necessary to re-examine the case.”

Following a new investigation, the Dicastery decided to hear the former bishop’s defence; once it had examined it, on 8 March 2024, the Doctrine of the Faith “presented the documentation to the Holy Father, proposing dismissal from the clerical state, in accordance with Article 26 of the norms of Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela"—the motu proprio issued by John Paul II in 2001 and subsequently updated by Benedict XVI (in 2010) and Pope Francis (in 2021), which concerns the "most serious crimes" reserved to the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The Pope's decision

During the audience granted to Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, on 11 March, the Nunciature's statement continued, “Pope Francis accepted the request, ordering that the proposed punishment be imposed.”

On Wednesday, 20 March, the measure was then “made known to the person concerned who, taking note of the decision, asked to be allowed to reside in a place of retreat, without any more contact with the outside world, in order to dedicate himself to prayer and penance.”

The same communiqué stated that Pope Francis “reiterates his closeness to the victims of abuse and his commitment to ensure that this scourge is eradicated from the Church.”