Tickets were sold out in record time. All the seats for the Sunday Mass Pope Francis will celebrate September 29 at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels were snapped up, with more than 35,000 people expected to attend the event. The enthusiasm almost surprised Belgian Catholics, who were happy to discover that such an event could still draw crowds. “At first, people didn’t believe it,” confirmed Arnaud Join-Lambert, professor of theology at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain). “It’s surprising; there’s an excitement and genuine media curiosity.”
During his September 26-29 visit to Belgium, the pope will encounter a church that is no longer used to being in the spotlight and which even keeps a low profile, particularly in Flanders, a city still deeply scarred and undermined by revelations of sexual abuse within its ranks. Yet, in this country of over 11.5 million inhabitants, despite the rapid and powerful secularization, Catholicism, even in decline, remains a reference point. According to estimates cited in the latest annual report of the Church in Belgium, 50% of Belgians identify as Catholic—8.9% of whom attend Mass at least once a month.
An excessively modest church?
How can we explain the relative reserve that seemingly characterizes today’s church in Belgium? From her office at UCLouvain, Professor Catherine Chevalier, who contributed to the church’s annual report in Belgium, offered some insight. “The church tends to underestimate itself; it presents an image of excessive modesty. For instance, it wasn’t until 2008 that Brussels hosted the European Taizé meetings,” she explained. As if Belgian Catholics still need to convince themselves that they can rise to the challenge.
Moreover, they must reinvent their role in a Belgian society where Christian influence has significantly faded and which has become much more multicultural, particularly with a large Muslim population. While recognized religions in Belgium are state-funded, this system has provided a certain “comfort” to a church that “doesn’t have to struggle for survival,” according to a well-informed source.
At 55, Archbishop Luc Terlinden, who was appointed to lead the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels in June 2023, embodied the challenges facing the new generation of Catholics. He is at the forefront of guiding the church in Belgium from a dominant position to “just one conviction among others”: “When I was a child,” he said, “we still lived in a Catholic world. We worried less about sharing the Gospel. Since then, there has been an awakening: our primary mission is to proclaim, and it’s very energizing. Let’s not dwell on nostalgia.”
For instance, nostalgia for a society where moral guidelines were still aligned with Catholic doctrine. While Catholicism remained strong in social engagement—through the network of Catholic schools (over half of primary and secondary school students attend them) and youth movements—the church’s voice has become much less audible and listened to.
A church shaped by a culture of compromise
In Liège, in eastern Belgium, near the Dutch and German borders, Father Éric de Beukelaer, the 60-year-old vicar general of the diocese, is one of the few priests who doesn’t hesitate to engage with the media on even controversial topics. “We participate in public debates, such as on euthanasia, but we must try to be understood. We cannot remain silent, but there is a way to speak. And once the laws are passed, what can we do?”
Far from resigned or worried about the future, the former French-speaking spokesperson for the Belgian Bishops’ Conference also emphasized Belgium’s unique context, a country “built on compromise.” This culture also marks the church. “It’s not very Belgian to get angry or be in extreme opposition,” he continued.
At the risk of sometimes being seen as too accommodating, the church in Belgium embraces a preferential option for dialogue with society. “If we stick to a defensive stance,” Archbishop Terlinden explained, “we risk missing out on our primary mission: proclamation.”
Although the shift from a sociological Catholicism to a conviction-based Catholicism isn’t happening without friction or a strong sense of decline—with a more than 30% drop in the number of diocesan priests in five years, fewer seminarians, and a sharp decline in religious practice—a new model is emerging. A multicultural church, much more modest but more open about its faith. A church that also advocates for reforms as part of the synod: female diaconate and the possibility of ordaining married men.
Catholics more openly embracing their faith
This shift is particularly driven by numerous laypeople involved in the church, sometimes in top leadership roles, and young people with various sensibilities. For instance, in Brussels, at the crossroads between the European district and the popular Matonge neighborhood, a small group of Catholics aged 25 to 35 opened a Christian social café called Nomade in a renovated parish hall.
“The idea is to create a welcoming, friendly place to reconcile our convictions, our desire for political engagement for social justice, and our Christian faith,” explained Manon, 28, who admitted that it takes courage to be a Christian in Belgium. This social space is only open on Wednesday evenings for now, though its organizers are brimming with ideas for its future.
Nearby, close to the Sainte-Croix Church in Ixelles, an example of a dynamic parish, Astrid and Jean Stemler share the same boldness. This Brussels couple, aged 33 and 28 and highly active in the church, were among the 200 young people who signed a 2022 letter noting “a disconnect between some of the demands in the synodal synthesis and the reality we live in.”
“Our generation didn’t know a time when the church was still very strong,” they explained. “In our context, we can’t afford to retreat; we must live our faith positively and be proud to be Christians. Especially since people around us are more open and show ignorance rather than rejection.” The increase in adult baptisms in the country reflects this trend.
What is expected of Pope Francis’ visit to Belgium? “We hope he confirms this new, more missionary momentum,” Jean said, “and that his visit will help change the church’s image in Belgium.”
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Schedule of Pope Francis’ visit to Luxembourg & Belgium
Thursday, September 26: Pope Francis will first visit Luxembourg, where he is scheduled to arrive at 10 a.m. He will meet the Grand Duchy’s authorities and then the Catholics at Luxembourg Cathedral before heading to Belgium later in the day.
Friday, September 27: The pope will meet with Belgian authorities, including the king, before visiting the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) on the Flemish side and the following day at the Catholic University of Louvain (in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve) on the French-speaking side, to meet students. On the early morning of Saturday, September 28, he will meet with the Belgian Church’s bishops, priests, deacons, religious figures, and pastoral workers at the massive Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg.
Sunday, September 29: The highlight of his visit to Belgium will be the celebration of Mass at 10 a.m. at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, where more than 35,000 people are expected to attend. After that, he will return to the Vatican.
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Publish date : 2024-09-27 03:24:00
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