Pope Francis was pressed on the issue of child sexual abuse for a second day of a Belgium visit partially overshadowed by past scandals
Pope Francis was pressed on the issue of child sexual abuse for a second day of a Belgium visit partially overshadowed by past scandals AFP

Pope Francis said Saturday the Catholic Church must learn from victims of child sexual abuse, as he was pressed on the issue on the second day of his Belgium visit partially overshadowed by past scandals.

Replying at a meeting in Brussels to a scripted question by a representative of an organisation helping abuse victims, the pontiff acknowledged the "atrocious suffering and wounds" caused by the Church.

"There is a need for a great deal of mercy to keep us from hardening our hearts before the suffering of victims, so that we can help them feel our closeness," Francis said at the meeting with clergy and pastoral workers, a day after meeting with a group of Belgian abuse victims.

"We must learn from them, as you said, to be a Church at the service of all without belittling anyone," the 87-year-old pope told the gathering at the vast Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, one of the largest churches in the world.

"Indeed, one of the roots of violence stems from the abuse of power when we use the positions we have to crush or manipulate others."

His words came in response to Mia De Schamphelaere, a Belgian politician and the coordinator of a Flemish centre for abuse victims, who asked how the Church could learn from its mistakes and create a safe environment for everyone.

Decades of scandals and cover-ups have loomed large over the pope's visit to Belgium, where a hard-hitting documentary last year put the issue back on front pages, prompting new victims to come forward.

On Friday evening, 17 clerical sexual assault victims shared their stories and expressed their expectations to the pope, who "took note" of their requests, according to the Vatican.

In an open letter this month, some victims had demanded the pontiff address paedophilia and set up a process for financial reparations.

Beginning his visit on Friday, Francis said the Church had to "seek forgiveness", calling child sexual abuse "our shame and our humiliation," after being questioned on the issue by King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

Early in the morning, the Argentinian Jesuit went to another church in the city to share breakfast with homeless people and migrants.

He was later due to hold discussions with students at Louvain-la-Neuve in French-speaking Wallonia, notably on climate issues, before concluding his visit on Sunday with an open-air mass.