Pope Francis requested bishops not to cover up sexual abuse cases as he concluded his three-day visit to Belgium on Sunday with an open-air mass, addressing the country struggling with its legacy of past scandals. He stressed that there is no place for abuse and asked the bishops to condemn the abusers instead of protecting them. 


"There is no place for abuse, there is no place for covering up abuse," Francis said. "I ask everyone not to cover up abuse, I ask the bishops not to cover up abuse, to condemn the abusers and help them heal themselves of this disease of abuse," he added.


Around 40,000 people had gathered the King Baudouin stadium north of the capital to hear the 87-year-old pontiff, with some waving Belgian and Vatican flags, AFP reported.


During his stay, the Pope was pressed by Belgian authorities and victims' advocates on the Catholic Church's handling of child sexual abuse, which resurfaced after a hard-hitting documentary released last year.


The documentary led around 200 more victims to come forward. They alleged being abused by members of the Church, adding to the already existing 1,000 cases that were reported before then.


On Friday, he also met with 17 of these victims. "I felt their suffering," he said at the Sunday mass.


Calling for the perpetrators to be judged, Pope Francis said: "Evil must not be hidden, evil must be brought out into the open, let it be known."


He was called upon by the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, the King of Belgium, and the survivors to visit the country. He was also there to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Louvain Catholic University. 


Belgium has been infamous for its legacy of abuse within the Catholic church and the cover-ups that follow. The case of Bruges bishop Roger Vangheluwe hit headlines after he was defrocked by the Pope this year, 14 years after admitting to his crime and not facing any punishment for it. He was allowed to retire quitely in 2010, despite admitting to have sexually abused his nephew for 13 years.


Not only did he escape Vatican punishment after the scandal, but the head of the Belgian church at the time, was caught asking one of his victims to remain quiet and keep his abuse secret until the bishop left office, Associated Press reported.


For years, the Vtican had been asked by Antwerp Bishop Johan Bonny to defrock Vangheluwe, but he received no response. It was ahead of Pope Francis's Belgium visit this year, as it would have been a problematic distraction.


Pope Urges Ceasefire In Middle East


Meanwhile, the programme of Sunday's mass was changed last minute after it was found that the closing hymn was composed by a priest accused of sexual abuse. This prompted Belgian bishops' conference head to admit that the Church to improve on monitoring cases and perpetrators.


Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde also attended the mass. Francis also appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and the wider Middle East.


"I call on all parties to immediately cease fire in Lebanon, Gaza, the rest of Palestine and Israel," he said, amid Israel's continued strikes at the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon.


Pope Francis Rules Out Ordaining Women As Priests


In another development, he has ruled out ordaining women as priests and to allow women serve as deacons, who perform tasks similar to priests. He was also challenged on his opinion about the place of women in the Church during a conversation with students, AFP reported.


His response, describing women as mothers, daughters, and sisters did not go down well with some. The Catholic university hosting the meeting also expressed "incomprehension and disapproval" at his view.


"I don't understand why women can't become priests. It's something that was established because it was rooted in society at the time, but now we've moved on," an 18-year-old student told AFP.