By Araceli Mingura
Web Editor
The Catholic News Agency reported that Pope Francis concluded his three-day visit to Belgium on Sunday, Sept. 29 with a beatification Mass.
On the last day of the pope’s visit, he celebrated mass in Brussels, beatifying the Carmelite sister Ana de Jesús, a spiritual daughter of St. Theresa of Avila and friend of St. John of the Cross.
The pope visited Belgium and Luxembourg as a finale to his 12-day Asia trip, focusing primarily on addressing the issues of climate, violence and harmony within the Church.
An estimated 40,000 people attended the Mass in Belgium’s largest soccer stadium, King Baudouin Stadium. During his homily, the pope made strong remarks concerning the scandal of abuse in the Church.
“Let the abuser be judged,” said Francis. He gave strong condemnations toward the abusers in the Church and a strong urge for the Church to leave behind the mentality that looks away from the abuse: “nothing good or solid can be built upon it.”
During his visit, the pope spoke with Catholic clergy and religious in Belgium, as well as King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and around 300 dignitaries of the constitutional monarchy. He also held a meeting with professors and students in two of the Catholic universities of the country.
The pope also surprised the elderly at a nursing home, had a Catholic youth encounter and prayed for the late Belgian King Baudouin at his tomb, who temporarily abdicated the throne instead of signing a law to legalize abortion in 1990.
Francis also spent more than two hours on the evening of Sept. 27 in private conversations with 17 victims of sexual abuse from clergy members. He later recalled this meeting in his homily while warning of covering up abuse in the Church.
The pope left for Rome after and returned the afternoon of Sept. 29.