Pope Francis on Sunday wrapped up a weekend trip to Belgium, where he faced some of the strongest criticism yet levied during one of his foreign trips. The 87-year-old pontiff was pressed by high-profile figures at three of the five major events on his three-day visit in unusual and sometimes fierce language for a papal trip.

The pope also had a number of off-program appointments during the visit — he surprised elderly at a care home, crashed a Catholic youth encounter, and prayed in front of the tomb of Belgian King Baudouin, a Catholic who temporarily abdicated the throne rather than sign a law legalizing abortion in 1990.

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."

The Catholic Church's failures in responding to sexual abuse by clergy have been in focus again during Pope Francis' visit this weekend to Belgium, with the pontiff facing calls from high-profile figures and survivors for more concrete action.

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,

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.