Francis drew attacks over clergy sexual abuse, the role of women in the church and his stance on abortion, reflecting difficulties the church faces in the West.

Pope Francis was pressed firmly by Belgium's king and premier on Friday for more concrete action to address sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, an issue once more in the spotlight as he visits.

A woman is more important than a man, but it is terrible when a woman wants to be a man: No, she is a woman,” the pope had said in Belgium.

Francis’ visit to Belgium has been dominated by the abuse scandal, with King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo both blasting the Catholic Church’s dreadful legacy of priests raping and molesting children and its decades-long cover-up of the crimes.

Pope Francis also doubled down on his traditional views on abortion and praised Catholic abuse victims for their conduct.

Pope Francis urged Catholic bishops to be more transparent and aggressive in combatting child sex abuse in the Church during his visit to Belgium on Sunday, declaring that “evil must not be hidden” and “must be brought out into the open.