Belgian bishop stripped of priesthood over child abuse dies at 89

Defrocked Belgian bishop Roger Vangheluwe, who admitted to sexually abusing a child, has died at the age of 89. Vangheluwe's case triggered a national reckoning in Belgium over clerical child sexual abuse. He was stripped of his priesthood in 2024 after the Vatican defrocked him. The abuse occurred decades ago, and Vangheluwe had been living in seclusion. His death closes a chapter in a scandal that deeply shook the Catholic Church in Belgium and led to widespread calls for accountability and reform.

Global Impact

The death of Roger Vangheluwe marks the end of a key chapter in Belgium's clerical abuse scandal, but the broader impact on the Catholic Church and global conversations about institutional accountability persists. The case contributed to a wave of abuse revelations and reforms in Europe, including changes to statute of limitations laws and church protocols.