Francis is the first pontiff to visit Brussels in the last thirty years, yet it seems as though a century has gone by.
It was in 1985 that John Paul II visited Belgium for the first time, with a second visit in 1995. During his last apostolic journey he focused on various aspects of Christian life at the time already on the agenda of the local Church (and not only), namely, the vitality of parishes and movements, vocations, youth and faith, the secularisation process, the role of Catholics in public life…
The Catholic Church in Belgium had a historical legacy of religious devotion, popular piety and theological scholarship. However, the changes brought about by the present era were already becoming evident.
In his address to the Bishops’ Conference on 4 June 1995, Wojtyla said: “In a country such as yours, where diversity is not an impediment to effective cohesion, the Bishops’ Conference can serve as a valuable and inspiring source of support for each of you.” He added: “This must be accompanied by the various forms of agreement and collaboration of the diocesan clergy with men and women religious, as well as with the laity. Mutual listening and fruitful interactions are necessary at all levels.” John Paul II further remarked that “the ecclesial community is marked by a legitimate diversity, but it is only in the harmonious co-ordination of its members, and thus in the loving preservation of unity, that it can bear faithful witness to the Lord.”
After a short stopover in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Pope Francis is set to arrive in Belgium on Thursday 26 September, where he will stay until Sunday 29.
The Pope’s journey to Belgium is not going to be a brief one and will include two visits to the Catholic University of Louvain to mark the 600th anniversary of its foundation (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, a Flemish-speaking university based in Louvain; Université Catholique de Louvain, a French-speaking university based in Louvain-la-Neuve and Brussels).
“Forward with Hope” is the motto of Pope Francis’ visit to Belgium, echoing the Synodal Way and the upcoming Jubilee. The programme of the Pope’s visit includes meetings with members of the royal family, bishops and pastoral workers. Bergoglio will devote his attention to the Belgian Church, which is marked by increasing secularisation, low Mass attendance, the scandal of child abuse, the complexity of dialoguing with civil society (there is a strong presence of Freemasonry) and politics. It should be noted that the Church in Belgium is marked by cultural and linguistic differences between the French-speaking Walloons and the Flemish-speaking population.
Francis will experience and encourage the multiple signs of the vitality of Belgian Catholicism in the life of the numerous parishes, monasteries and Catholic schools; in the pastoral work of priests and lay people, men and women religious; in the popular devotion to the Marian shrines of Banneaux and Beauraing; in the charitable work for the poor and migrants; in the concern for issues related to the family, peace and justice, the environment, missions, culture, the LGBT community.
On the agenda figure also talks with academics and students at the University of Leuven (ecological transition, solidarity with the marginalised and with migrants…). The Pope will be meeting young people and abuse survivors. The Pope’s reflections will most certainly touch on the process of European integration, with the EU institutions having their headquarters in Brussels.
On Sunday, during the closing Mass at the King Baudouin stadium, accompanied by the young Archbishop of Malines-Brussels, Luc Terlinden, President of the Belgian Bishops’ Conference, Francis will beatify the Spanish-born Carmelite nun St Anne of Jesus, a luminous spiritual figure who was very close to Teresa of Avila, who died in Brussels, where her remains are kept. As well as providing opportunities for prayer and celebration, this upcoming Apostolic Journey is likely to offer many opportunities for open, sincere and fruitful discussion between the Catholic Church and the changing face of society and culture in contemporary Europe. In this respect, it is indeed a most promising visit, likely to provide many precious insights for the future.
