Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo delivered a scathing critique of Pope Francis, condemning the Catholic Church’s history of clerical sex abuse and cover-ups. He demanded “concrete steps” to confront the past and prioritize victims over the institution during Francis’ visit to Belgium on Friday.

De Croo’s address was one of the most direct challenges a pope has faced during a foreign trip, breaking the usual norms of diplomatic protocol. King Philippe also voiced strong criticism, urging the Church to work “incessantly” to atone for its crimes and support victims’ healing.

The remarks underscored how deeply the abuse scandal still affects Belgium, where two decades of revelations have severely damaged the Church’s credibility and accelerated a decline in Catholicism. Francis, who applauded at the end of De Croo’s speech, was expected to meet privately with victims later in the day.

“Today, words alone do not suffice. We need concrete steps,” De Croo said, emphasizing that victims must be heard and centered, with a right to truth and acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Speaking at Laeken Castle before an audience of royals, church officials, diplomats, and politicians, he stressed, “When something goes wrong, we cannot accept cover-ups. To look forward, the Church must confront its past.”

Pope Francis Visits Belgium Amid Ongoing Abuse Scandal

Belgium’s abuse scandal has gradually unfolded over 25 years, with a significant turning point in 2010 when Bruges Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, the country’s longest-serving bishop, resigned without punishment after admitting to sexually abusing his nephew for 13 years. Francis only defrocked Vangheluwe earlier this year, ahead of his visit, in a bid to address lingering outrage.

The scandal resurfaced last year with the release of “Godvergeten” (Godforsaken), a four-part Flemish documentary that aired on public broadcaster VRT. For the first time, viewers saw Belgian victims openly discuss the extent of the abuse, the heinous nature of the crimes, and the systematic cover-up by the Catholic hierarchy.

The U.S. Justice Department unsealed criminal charges on Friday against three members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, accusing them of hacking Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and attempting to disrupt the Nov. 5 election.

This indictment marks the latest effort by the Biden administration to counter foreign interference in the election between former President Trump, a Republican, and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Iran dismissed the accusations on Thursday, calling them baseless. The three men—Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi—were allegedly trying to undermine Trump’s campaign, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We are witnessing increasingly aggressive Iranian cyber activity during this election cycle,” Garland stated at a news conference.

The indictment reveals that the trio used fake email accounts to deceive campaign officials into believing they were communicating with trusted sources, prompting them to click on links that allowed the hackers to steal emails and other internal documents, including debate preparation materials and profiles of potential vice-presidential candidates.

The stolen information was then leaked to media outlets and the Biden campaign while Joe Biden was still a candidate, according to the indictment. The charges include wire fraud, identity theft, and computer fraud. The U.S. Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on the three men and several other Revolutionary Guard Corps members.

Trump’s campaign acknowledged in August that it had been hacked by Iran but stated that no private information was accessed. However, multiple news outlets reportedly refused to publish the internal campaign documents that were offered to them. Biden’s campaign officials also did not respond when offered Trump’s debate preparation materials shortly before the only debate between the two candidates on June 27, according to the indictment.

This restraint contrasts sharply with the 2016 election, when hacked communications from Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign received widespread media coverage. The Iranian hacking group, known as APT42 or Charming Kitten, is infamous for using surveillance software on mobile phones that can record calls, steal texts, and covertly activate cameras and microphones, according to researchers.

The three suspects are currently in Iran, out of reach of U.S. law enforcement, but Garland emphasized that the Justice Department has a track record of capturing international suspects years after charges are filed. “We will pursue these individuals for the rest of their lives,” he asserted.

The Justice Department indicated that Iran’s efforts are not limited to cyber attacks. A Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran recently pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges related to a plot to assassinate a U.S. politician in retaliation for the 2020 killing of a top Revolutionary Guards commander. A source mentioned Trump as a possible target, but no links have been established with recent attempts on his life.

The Justice Department has also taken action against Russian efforts to interfere in the election, bringing charges and sanctions against employees of Russian state media outlet RT for allegedly funding pro-Trump social-media influencers in the U.S.