Brussels, 27 September 2024 (dpa/MIA) - In a speech in Brussels on Friday, Pope Francis denounced the sexual abuse of minors by priests as a "disgrace" that the Catholic Church must seek forgiveness for.

"The church must be ashamed," the pope said in a surprise departure from his speech at the Castle of Laeken.

The pontiff, visibly moved, added that the church must "do everything - everything possible - so that this does not happen again."

Pope Francis was meeting Belgian King Philippe as well as Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo at the start of his three-day visit to Belgium.

The Belgian prime minister had sharp words for the pope, telling the head of the Catholic Church that words are not enough and that "concrete steps must also be taken."

"The victims must be heard. They should be at the centre. They have a right to the truth," De Croo said in his speech to welcome the pope.

The Belgian king spoke similarly, noting that while the pope is taking action "it has taken far too to begin looking for ways to repair the irreparable."

Pope Francis is scheduled to meet privately with a group of 15 victims of clerical sexual abuse.

Jean-Marc Turine, a Belgian writer, director, and member of the group, told dpa the victims want the pope to admit that the Catholic Church was responsible for the abuse.

"The Church has to take this on board, really take it on board," Turine said.

He said that the Church must stop protecting rapist priests, alleging this "has very often been the case."

"The pope has never spoken with victims" in Belgium, Turine added, calling on the church to provide proper financial compensation. The sexual abuse "destroyed the lives" of many people, he said.

The timing and location of the meeting between the group of victims and the pope has not been disclosed.

The pope is addressing a number of issues on the trip, including migration, climate change and the Ukraine war. It is Francis' 46th international trip as pope. He was in Luxembourg on Thursday.

The pontiff later plans to mark the 600th anniversary of the Catholic University of Leuven on Friday, founded in 1425.

On Saturday, he is due to visit the partner Catholic University in Louvain-La-Neuve. The pope also plans to meet bishops and members of the Catholic community at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Koekelberg in Brussels.

The pontiff plans to say Mass at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on Sunday.

Pope Francis is pressing on with the trip despite cancelling all appointments on Monday due an illness. The Vatican said the 87-year-old was suffering from a "mild flu."

MIA file photo