[3] When asked during a university lecture on 19 April 2010 how pedophilia should best be discussed in class, Vangheluwe replied: "I think you need to be well informed about these things.

"[6] Two days later, on 21 April 2010, the catholic periodical 'Kerk en Leven' ('Church and Life') published the following quote taken from his answer: "At present we suffer from the scandals that batter the Church: everywhere there are stories of priests abusing children.

[8][9] At the time Vangheluwe was Belgium's longest serving bishop, a year shy of the standard retirement age of 75.

Leonard said that Vangheluwe's resignation shows that the Catholic Church in Belgium wants to "turn over a leaf from a not very distant past".

[13] In September 2010, Vangheluwe announced he was leaving the abbey and that "as of today, I will contemplate my life and future somewhere hidden, outside the bishopric of Bruges".

[3] On 4 April 2011, the Reuters news service reported that Belgian authorities were not considering prosecuting Vangheluwe because his crimes occurred too long ago.

[14] On 12 April 2011, the Holy See Press Office announced that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had ruled that Vangheluwe must leave Belgium and undergo spiritual and psychological treatment.

[16] On 24 April 2011, Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard strongly condemned the interview, noting that the Vatican had insisted that Vangheluwe remain silent.

The announcement made by the Apostolic Nunciature to Belgium said that the former bishop "asked to be able to reside in a place of retreat, without any contact with the outside world".