Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo criticized Pope Francis for comments the pope made on abortion last week when he was returning to Rome from Belgium.

Pope Francis said on Sunday victims of Catholic clergy sexual abuse in Belgium deserved more financial compensation, calling the amounts allocated to them so far "too small". On the flight back to Rome from Belgium,

Speaking to a crowd of around 39,000 in the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, the pontiff wrapped up a difficult visit to Belgium by saying, "There is no place for the covering up of abuse."

King Baudouin of the Belgians was known as a devout Catholic monarch who was uncompromising in his Catholics ideals. This led to a dramatic showdown with the Belgian government in which Baudouin was forced to give up the throne in 1990. Credit: Joop van Bilsen/Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

In a meeting with Belgian dignitaries on Friday, both King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called for more concrete action to help survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy. And in later events at two Catholic universities,

Pope Francis has wrapped up a weekend trip to Belgium by praising victims and demanding that sexually abusive clergy be judged, after facing strong criticism that the Catholic Church was failing to face up to the problem.