Day One in Belgium: Leuven, a Catholic university open to the world

By Joseph Tulloch - Brussels

Pope Francis’ first full day here in Brussels began with a meeting with the King and Prime Minister in the Royal Palace of Laeken.

Both praised the Pope for his commitment to intercultural dialogue and his care for the poor. They also took the opportunity to reflect on the ongoing harm caused the sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church, which was particularly keenly felt in Belgium

The King referred to this as an “unspeakable tragedy” that took “far too long” to come to light. In his own remarks, the Pope described it as ”our shame and humiliation”, and stressed that the Church must “make every effort” to ensure that nothing of the kind can ever happen again.

Then, that afternoon, the Pope made the short journey to Leuven, home to a prestigious, 600 year-old Catholic University.

In a long and thoughtful address to the Pope, the university’s rector, Luc Sels, reflected on Leuven’s dual identity as both rooted in the Catholic tradition and open to the modern world.

“Our academic work is open,” he said, “without prejudice or barriers. It is precisely this independence which perhaps constitutes our greatest value to the Church. Our university can be a critical partner, a place for open discussion on ethical, social and philosophical issues, a centre of critical and fair reflection that inspires but also challenges the Catholic community. A centre of reflection that also dares to challenge society on the basis of this Christian worldview.”

Then, in the evening, came one of the most hotly anticipated moments of the trip: the Pope’s private meeting with survivors of clerical sexual abuse.

The meeting lasted over two hours, and was an opportunity, the Holy See Press Office said, for the victims “to share their personal stories and suffering with the Holy Father, as well as to express their expectations for the Church’s continued efforts in combating the scourge of abuse.”

Speaking to the Dutch-language newspaper De Morgen directly after the meeting, one of the survivors said that the Pope “spoke with his heart”. It was a "beautiful experience”, she said.