Amid preparations for a Mass during Pope Francis' visit to Belgium, a choir rehearsing a closing hymn discovered that the composer was a priest accused of molesting young women. The hymn was swiftly replaced, but due to printing constraints, the composer's name remained in the official Mass booklet.
This incident sheds light on the Belgian church's ongoing struggle with a history of sex abuse and cover-ups by clergy. The country has faced hundreds of abuse reports over the past two decades, with advocates suggesting that many cases remain unreported.
