Pope Benedict has joined mounting Vatican criticism of raids by Belgian Police investigating alleged child sex abuse calling them deplorable. In a message to Belgian bishops, the pope expressed solidarity in this moment of sadness. Several buildings were searched in raids targeting a retired archbishop and the graves of two prelates. <br/><br/>Belgium's Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck has responded to the criticism robustly, saying normal procedures were followed. Justice Minister defended the police action in a series of TV interviews on Sunday and said the investigation was legitimate. He said the bishops were treated completely normally during the raid on the archdiocese and it is false to say that they received no food or drink.<br/><br/>Pope Benedict's criticism of the raids came in a message of support to Brussels Archbishop Andre Joseph Leonard, the head of the Belgian bishops' conference. An inquiry into church sex abuse in Belgium has been running for years.<br/>