Open VLD MP Irina The button Fulmint about minute silence for the Pope: « Conservative Church prince who had no respect for women’s rights and LGBs »
A minute of silence in the Chamber in memory of the Pope Franciscus, who died on Monday, went down the wrong way with MP Irina de Knop (Open VLD). « We just kept silence here for a conservative prince that had absolutely no respect for women’s rights and LGBs and who called people who committed abortion, » fulminated the liberal politician.
The plenary meeting of the room started on Thursday afternoon with a mourning tribute. In itself that is not unusual: that also happens, for example, when a (former) MP or minister dies. Now the parliament paid tribute to Pope Francis, who died on Monday. Chamber President Peter De Roover (N-VA) and then Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) also gave a short speech, after which the members of parliament took silence for a minute. « On behalf of the government, I express my deepest condolences to the Catholic community, » said the prime minister.
Open VLD MP Irina The button responded afterwards « bewildered ». « We have just kept silence for a conservative prince that had absolutely no respect for women’s rights and LGBs and people who mentioned abortion, » she referred to the statements that the Pope made in September on the way back of a visit to our country. « I wish to distance myself from it personally. »
« We just kept silence for a minute for a conservative prince that had absolutely no respect for women’s rights and LGBs and people who mentioned abortion killers »
Irina the button
Open VLD MP
Applause
The button received applause from her own liberal group, but also from the PS and some MPs of the majority party Vooruit. According to a good source, the mourning tribute was also « not in this way » during the conference of presidents, the body in which the groups arrange the work of the Chamber. Chamber President De Roover, however, contradicts that and refers to the approved report of the meeting of the conference, stating that « the plenary meeting will start a mourning tribute in memory of the death of Pope Francis ».
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In any case, in 2005 the House also held a mourning tribute in response to the death of Pope John Paul II, noto among the liberal chamber chairman Herman De Croo. That didn’t happen for Benedict XVI, but he was no longer a pope when he died.
