Alexander De Croo by IAEA Imagebank (Left), Wikimedia Commons (Right)
CV NEWS FEED // The Prime Minister of Belgium has summoned the Belgian papal nuncio after Pope Francis called the country’s legalization of abortion “murderous.”
During an October 3 session of the Chamber of Representatives, Prime Minister Alexander de Croo stated: “It is absolutely unacceptable for a foreign head of state to make such statements about democratic decision-making in our country,” according to Belga News Agency.
He continued by emphasizing Belgium’s secular culture: “We do not need lessons on how our parliamentarians democratically approve laws. Fortunately, the time when the church dictated laws in our country is long gone.”
De Croo stated that he had summoned the papal nuncio in Belgium to discuss Pope Francis’s remarks, stating, “My message will be very clear: what happened there is unacceptable.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks came after Pope Francis visited the grave of the late King Baudouin of Belgium during his papal visit to the country, according to the Associated Press.
At King Baudouin’s grave, Pope Francis called the late king a saint for refusing to sign “murderous” legislation that would permit abortion: Instead, the king abdicated his throne for a day.
In his in-flight press conference after his visit, the Pope reiterated his support of Baudouin and related that his canonization process was in the works. He again praised Baudouin’s actions, stating that to perform such an action, “You need courage.”
The Pope continued discussing the evil of abortion. “Doctors who do this are — allow me the word — hitmen. They are hitmen,” he stated. “And on this you cannot argue. You are killing a human life.”
Belga News reports that de Croo criticized the Church’s response to claims of sexual abuse, stating, “If there is anywhere that outrage should be directed, it is towards those who have allowed incidents of sexual harassment to occur or who failed to act when they should have.”
However, Pope Francis directly addressed the evils of abuse during his visit and met with victims of clergy sex abuse, the AP reports.
In an impromptu remark made during his homily during the Mass he celebrated in Belgium, the Pope praised the courage of the victims who came forward, demanded punishment for priests who committed abuse, and called for an end to the cover-up of abuse.
“Evil must not be hidden,” the Pope asserted. “Evil must be brought out into the open.”
The Pope continued, “We have the responsibility to help the abused and take care of them,” he said. “Some need psychological help: (We must) help them with this.”
