Speech by His Majesty the King of the Belgians on the occasion of the Visit to Belgium of His Holiness Pope Francis, Castle of Laeken, 27 September 2024

Your Holiness,
What a joy it is to welcome you here today, nearly thirty years after the visit of Pope John Paul II.
Your apostolic mission, passed down from Saint Peter, firmly upholds the great Christian tradition, while also reflecting your highly respected character. Aware of the upheavals facing our world, you have placed the fight against all forms of injustice at the heart of your vocation. Your words, reflections and actions offer hope and light to the most distant reaches of the human family. Your recent journey to Southeast Asia is a perfect illustration of this.
You deliver a message of life to all humanity, whether by meeting the poorest, the most distant or those most deeply affected by climate change and forgotten wars.
We support your efforts because only peace can pave the way for development, education, healthcare and social justice.
Your Holiness, you have condemned the unspeakable tragedy of sexual abuse within the Church in the strongest possible terms and you have taken tangible steps to combat these horrific acts. Children have been deeply wounded, scarred for life. The same is true for the victims of forced adoption.
It has taken far too long for their cries to be heard and acknowledged. It has taken far too long to begin looking for ways to "repair" the irreparable. We recognise the efforts of the Church in Belgium in this regard, efforts which must continue resolutely and relentlessly.
Your life and actions are defined by your selflessness. Tirelessly, you work for our "shared home", the Earth, for the complete development of every individual and for dialogue among the philosophical, spiritual and religious ideas.
You have rightly condemned what you have insightfully called a "third world war fought piecemeal". Today, we welcome you, Your Holiness, as a pilgrim who carries a universal message of peace, reconciliation and justice. You remind us that every person is destined to be loved and to love.
This humanistic and spiritual vision has always been central to the Universities of Louvain, which this year celebrate their six-hundredth anniversary and have brought you here to us. I know how eager the students and their professors are to meet you tomorrow and the following day and to share their concerns with you. Their commitment to tackle the major challenges aligns with the very values of the Universities of Louvain.
Holy Father, the Belgian people are generous and welcoming. These qualities also characterize our civil society, many of whose representatives are present today. Civil society makes an important contribution to the fight against injustice and exclusion. In that context, how could we fail to remember Father Damien, who gave his life for the most excluded? He remains an example to us all.
Holy Father, we hope that your visit will give you the opportunity to discover the generosity and hospitality of the Belgian people.
Your Holiness, it is with great honour, on behalf of these generous people, that I welcome you!