France, Sept. 29 -- 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.

"There is no place for abuse," the pontiff said at a celebration of Mass at Brussels' King Baudouin soccer stadium on Sunday.

"There is no place for the cover-up of abuse.... I ask bishops, do not cover up abuse.

"Evil must not be hidden," he told a gathering of some 30,000 people.

The 87-year-old pontiff was responding to the outrage over sex abuse within Belgium's clergy that has devastated the church's credibility.

He had been pressed by high-profile figures at three of the five major events o...