Brussels, Belgium—Pope Francis presided over an open-air mass in Brussels on Sunday, capping a three-day visit to Belgium that grappled with past scandals and current debates over the role of women in the Catholic Church.
Gathered in bright morning sunshine, about 40,000 faithful, some waving Belgian and Vatican flags, packed the King Baudouin stadium, north of the capital, for the ceremony.
The Argentine pontiff, 87, arrived shortly after 9:00 am (0700 GMT), and toured the stadium in his Popemobile, cheered on by worshippers, including many young people and families.
“He transmits all kinds of values,” Olivier Caillet, 44, from Brussels, said of the pope, praising his welcoming stance on migration.
“He’s a bit like the pope of surprises, he’s with the underprivileged… he’s opening up new possibilities, trying to change people’s consciences so that we don’t close borders like barriers.”
Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were also in attendance.
During his stay, the pontiff was repeatedly questioned about the Catholic Church’s dark legacy of child sexual abuse, which casts a long shadow in Belgium. He met on Friday with 17 victims.
Francis’s visit, the first by a pope to Belgium since John Paul II in 1995, also highlighted the growing disconnect between the Vatican and some faithful in progressive, secular countries over issues such as gender inequality.
On Saturday, he was challenged during a frank exchange with students about women’s place in the Church—after paying tribute to a former sovereign who took a public stance against abortion.
His response describing women as daughters, sisters and mothers upset some, with the university hosting the meeting later expressing its “incomprehension and disapproval” at the reductive 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,” Alice Vanwijnsberghe, an 18-year-old student, told Agence France Presse (AFP) after attending a festival with 6,000 young Catholics.
The Pope is due to leave Brussels at noon. He is then expected to give his traditional press conference on board the plane taking him back to Rome, where he should land around 3:00 pm.
