Brussels, Belgium, May 20, 2010 / 20:49 pm
The Bishops of Belgium have apologized for aggression against victims of sexual abuse and for the inadequate support they received. In a pastoral letter, they pledge "concrete measures" to prevent further abuses.
The message, which was delivered by way of a pastoral letter to the Belgian Church, was released within weeks of the bishops' visit Vatican for their "ad Limina." One of the subjects the Belgian bishops discussed with the Pope and Roman Curia officials was sexual abuse against minors.
In the letter to the Belgian faithful, the bishops addressed the "serious damage" to the confidence between priests and the faithful which was caused by the "shockwave" of Bishop Roger Joseph Vangheluwe's resignation on April 23 over his admission that he sexually abused a boy.
Emphasizing that "the safety and protection of children takes priority over anything else," they acknowledged that Church officials did not fully realize the "extent of the child abuse tragedy and its tremendous consequences.