- Title: VATICAN: Pope speaks to Belgium Bishops about sex abuse.
- Date: 9th May 2010
- Summary: VATICAN CITY (MAY 8, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ST. PETER'S BASILICA THROUGH ARCH SIGN OUTSIDE VATICAN PRESS OFFICE SHOT OF VATICAN PRESS RELEASE BISHOPS ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE WIDE OF TABLE WITH BISHOPS (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARCHBISHOP OF MECHELEN-BRUSSELS ANDRE-JOSEPH LEONARD SAYING: "I believe that for him (the Pope), who is very aware of the seriousness of the problem, it is clear that the situation is understood between us. His talk (this morning) was personally addressed to us, and we have understood each other, which is why he was so brief in addressing the question." PHOTOGRAPHERS JOURNALISTS JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARCHBISHOP OF MECHELEN-BRUSSELS ANDRE-JOSEPH LEONARD SAYING: "Although the issue is very important in Belgium at the moment, it is not the only question on the mind of the Church." BISHOPS LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 24th May 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA5JH7J0SQ4OGZHQSDWITQ4ZJP1
- Story Text: Pope Benedict has met Belgian bishops following the resignation of the bishop of Bruges last month for sexual abuse.
Pope Benedict XVI met Belgian bishops on Saturday (May 8) following the resignation last month of the bishop of Bruges after he admitted to sexually abusing a boy.
The Pope briefly referred to the case in his speech to the Belgian bishops, saying their church had been "tested by sin".
The week-long visit to the Vatican concluded with a rare news conference in which the bishops spoke of the pain caused by the scandal which led to Bishop Roger Vangheluwe's resignation last April.
The archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Andre-Joseph Leonard, said that Pope Benedict had not felt the need to spend long on the issue because it was clear that the pontiff and the bishops understood each other.
"We have understood each other, which is why he was so brief in addressing the question," he said.
Bishop Roger Vangheluwe stepped down in April after admitting he had sexually abused a boy when in charge of the diocese of Bruges, the first such case to be made public in Belgium -- although a church commission said it was investigating about 20 other allegations of sex abuse.
Pope Benedict accepted the 73-year-old bishop's resignation on April 23. Bishop Vangheluwe had led the Diocese of Bruges (known in Flemish as Brugge) for more than 25 years.
On Saturday Pope Benedict also accepted the resignation of a German bishop who has been accused of sexual abuse of minors, the latest in a string of Roman Catholic prelates forced to resign over the scandal.
A Vatican statement said the pope had accepted the resignation of Bishop Walter Mixa of Augsburg. German prosecutors and church officials said on Friday that authorities were investigating accusations of sexual abuse by Mixa. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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