Letter To The Pope 5/6

  • Francis
  • February 21, 2026
  • Source language: English

This letter is part of a series: 1/6 · 2/6 · 3/6 · 4/6 · 5/6 · 6/6

After a year of correspondence, proposals, and attempts to prepare a meaningful evaluation for our planned meeting in Rome, I felt it necessary to address the situation directly. The earlier “report cards” had produced little tangible progress, and communication with the Belgian Bishops had become increasingly frustrating.

In this letter I present the final assessment of that year of efforts, again based on the four criteria previously outlined. Despite repeated contacts and concrete proposals, I could not identify meaningful improvement. The score therefore dropped to zero.

The letter also raises a fundamental question for the new Pope: whether he intends to continue his predecessor’s commitment to victims or allow the situation to stagnate, and ends with an appeal for concrete action.

Now, writing this a few months after meeting Pope Leo, I believe the answer has become clear. By separating Tutela Minorum from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and repeatedly stating that he must defend his priests, he has effectively stepped back from the unity Pope Francis tried to establish.

All letters were delivered through diplomatic post via the Nunciature.

Read the full letter below. This letter was also published in La Libre Belgique.

Your Holiness,

I am one of the 15 survivors of sexual abuse who met Pope Francis during his visit to Belgium in September 2024. At that time, he listened to our stories with great humanity and humility. He expressed his wish to meet again in Vatican City to review the Belgian Church’s progress.

This gave our group of 15 hope, and I offered Pope Francis a periodical “school report card” to evaluate how his Church in Belgium turns good intentions into action. A bit tongue-in-cheek, but worth a try! On October 31st Pope Francis replied that “no effort will be spared in ensuring that promises that have been made will continue to be translated into concrete actions.”

Over the past year I have written these school reports to the Holy See, evaluating the Church’s actions in 4 matters:

  • To offer better assistance for the psycho-medical treatment of victims.
  • To offer better financial compensations to the victims.
  • To punish both perpetrators of abuse and those who cover up.
  • To offer a direct line of contact through the Nunciature if necessary.

Earning “points” was easy. A single euro for trauma care or increased compensation would have been enough. Sadly, your Church does not get a passing grade.

Your predecessor scored a point (1/4) thanks to his communication through the Nunciature. I must now retract that point for the Holy See: your final score is 0/4.

Since your predecessor’s death, there have been more than twenty-four attempts to set a date for our visit to Rome before we finally received a response. Over the past year, we have contacted your Bishops at least 14 times (by email, meetings, and letters) regarding the content of the Church’s measures. This communication style does not inspire confidence.

We proposed a flat-rate monthly budget for trauma care and a flat-rate increase in amicable settlements to address point 1 & 2 on your report card. Our proposals were in line with scientific consensus and the established parliamentary recommendations. Yet we have received no feedback, not even when presenting them to Mgr. Terlinden and Mgr. Herrera.

After one year of work, I can only conclude that your bishops in Belgium are clearly guilty of wilful neglect, and that whoever cooperates in silence with your institution is complicit.

In his autobiography1 , speaking of our meeting2 in September 2024, Pope Francis wrote: “Victims must know that the pope is on their side. And on this he will not take even one step back.”3

Holy Father, today I must ask you with all the weight of those words: are you on our side?

You have said that you wish to continue the path set by Pope Francis on addressing sexual abuse. Or will you take a step back? If not, then I ask you: press your Belgian Bishops to urgency. The victims’ hope hangs on this.

Above all, answer us with deeds, not words.

I look forward to our meeting in Rome and hope to bring you better news, though skepticism remains. Trust is fragile and only action can restore it.

With respect and hope, Francis, Jean-Marc, Lieve, Koenraad, Jean-Luc, Chantal, Aline, Anne-Sophie, Pierre, Jan + 2 Survivors who prefer to remain anonymous

  1. Citation from: Francis, Pope. Hope: The Autobiography. Edited by Carlo Musso, translated by Richard Dixon, Random House, 2025. ↩︎

  2. Fun fact: Pope Francis’ autobiography misstates the number. There were 15 victims, not 17. The confusion comes from the two psychologists who were present to support a meeting so emotional that everyone wept, from the Pope to his bodyguard. I asked him three questions. He took time to engage with me about celibacy, and we agreed to disagree respectfully. On trauma care and financial support he aligned with us and affirmed it publicly in the days that followed. For that, I respect him. ↩︎

  3. Full passage: ”At the apostolic nunciature in Brussels, I had a private meeting with seventeen victims abused by members of the clergy: For two hours I listened to accounts of their injuries, I expressed my grief for what they had suffered as children, and my gratitude for their courage today. I told them that crimes such as these cannot be statute-barred by reason of time. The abusers are clearly responsible, but so too is a bishop who knows and does nothing about it. Covering it up is adding shame to shame. Victims must know that the pope is on their side. And on this he will not take even one step back." ↩︎