The Catholic Church in Belgium said it has "gravely failed" its sexual abuse victims at an event to mark the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence (18 November).
The international day is observed by the UN and is part of efforts to end all forms of discrimination against children by 2030.
A service at the Koekelberg Basilica on Sunday commemorated the date. Archbishop of Brussels-Mechelen Luc Terlinden spoke at the event and said the Catholic Church in Belgium had taken "too long to fully acknowledge the suffering and trauma of [sexual abuse] victims."
"When a feeling of being all-powerful takes over, the door is open to abuse," he said. "This is what has happened in our Church. It has led to the most horrific forms of abuse, committed by clergy and other leaders. This is our shame and humiliation."
14,000 'debaptism' requests
The reality of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church came to light in the VRT documentary Godvergeten (loosely translated as 'Godforsaken' in English), which aired in September 2023. The revelations of sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests provoked a national scandal. It led to the establishment of working groups to ensure greater accountability and better support for victims.
The Catholic Church's most recent annual report shows that 47 people reported an abuse incident in 2023. 32 of these people (68%) were minors. 45% of cases occurred over 40 years ago, 64% were more than 30 years ago and 28% took place in the last 30 years.
The testimonies compiled by Godvergeten and a more general disenchantment with the church have triggered record-breaking numbers of 'debaptism' requests. In 2023, over 14,000 people deregistered from the Church and another 524 people signed an open letter requesting debaptism following Pope Francis' visit to Belgium in September.
Debaptism is political as well as symbolic, as the Catholic Church receives state funding based on the number of Catholics registered in the country.
