Belgium's Roman Catholic bishops have agreed to compensate victims of
sexual abuse by priests in cases where the country's statute of
limitations denies them the right to seek redress in court.
A
Belgian parliamentary panel launched after the sexual abuse crisis shook
the Church last year recommended in March that the bishops set up an
arbitration commission to compensate victims, even if the cases were
decades old.
The Catholic Church in Belgium as well as the
branches in Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany have been shaken by
revelations of clerical sexual abuse of minors going back for decades.
Pope Benedict has apologised for the scandals.
Brussels Archbishop
Andre-Joseph Leonard caused an uproar last year when he said the Church
had no legal duty to compensate those molested by priests but might
contribute to their cause as it does to help victims of natural
disasters.
That and other seemingly callous statements by Leonard
have strained relations between the Church and Brussels politicians,
some of whom suggested slashing subsidies the Church enjoys.
Several
bishops have openly criticised Leonard for his views.
"The bishops
are aware of their moral responsibility and society's expectations
towards them," the bishops' conference said in a contrite statement.
"That's
why they commit themselves to recognising the victims and make redress
for their suffering. They are determined to reestablish the victims'
dignity and provide them with financial indemnities according to their
needs."
More than 500 cases of alleged sexual abuse have been
filed with Church and judicial authorities in Belgium since the former
Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, quit in disgrace in April 2010 after
admitting he had molested a nephew.
The Vatican ordered him to
undergo "spiritual and psychological treatment" at a monastery in
France, but he had to switch to an undisclosed location after the media
attention drove the monastery administration to ask him to leave.