The Vatican has asked for a new file to be opened on former Bruges bishop Roger Vangheluwe in the aftermath of the VRT documentary series “Godvergeten” about child abuse among the clergy in Belgium. There is also a new element in the story: Pornography was discovered on Vangheluwe’s computer during a search of his home in 2012.

Vangheluwe, now 87, resigned from his post in 2010 after his nephew went public with his story that Vangheluwe had sexually abused him for several years when he was a child. The Vatican ordered Vangheluwe to move to a monastery in France, where he still resides. The Vatican stopped short, however, in taking away his title of bishop.

The Episcopal Conference of Belgium had asked Vangheluwe to send a letter to the Vatican requesting that he be stripped of his title. And while Vangheluwe did send a letter, he probably did not specifically request to lost his title of bishop, according to the Vatican’s representative in Belgium, Franco Coppola.

“If this request had been made,” said Coppola, “it would have been approved and published within two months.”

The Vatican has now asked for a new file to be opened on Vangheluwe, which suggests that there is a new element to be considered. If new elements arise, the Vatican can take the decision to strip a member of the clergy of their title.

“We do know that in 2012 his computer was taken during a search of his home, and that a large amount of pornography was found on the computer,” federal justice minister Paul Van Tigchelt told VRT yesterday. Coppola informed Van Tigchelt that this is indeed a new element. “They apparently were never aware of this.”

It is not clear if the material found was photos or videos – or both – but Van Tigchelt did say that it concerned adult pornography, not children. It is therefore not illegal. Should the Vatican decide to strip Vangheluwe of his title, it would be on moral and not legal grounds and would likely be seen as the opportunity to take action now that was not previously taken