The exact dates for Pope Francis' first visit to Belgium have been confirmed for September this year. He will first visit neighbouring country Luxembourg before making stops in Brussels, Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve.
At the end of last year, the Pope expressed his desire to travel to Belgium in recognition of the 600th anniversary of the Catholic University of Leuven. More concrete plans were announced earlier this year, including a possible visit to the Koekelberg Basilica in Brussels.
On Monday, the plans became official as the Holy See Press Office announced Pope Francis will be making his "Apostolic Journey" to Luxembourg and Belgium from 26 September to 29 September 2024.
"Accepting the invitation of the respective Heads of State and Church authorities, the Holy Father Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to Luxembourg on 26 September, and to Belgium from 26 to 29 September," a statement from the Press Office read.
#ApostolicJourney #PopeFrancis pic.twitter.com/iuftsl5GKD
— Holy See Press Office (@HolySeePress) May 20, 2024
Translation: "The Holy Father Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to Luxembourg on 26 September, and to Belgium from 26 to 29 September, visiting Brussels, Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve."
The full schedule will be made available when finalised, the Press Office added. At the start of September, the Pope will be travelling to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Singapore – his longest-ever journey.
Concerns expressed
This marks the first time Pope Francis will visit Belgium. The last papal visit to the country was in 1995 when Pope John Paul II travelled here to beatify Father Damien, but this visit was limited to Brussels.
A decade prior, in 1985, the same Pope carried out a more extensive tour of the country, including stops in Leuven, Namur, Beauraing, Antwerp, Banneux, Liège and Mechelen.
The news of a papal visit to Belgium provoked mixed reactions in the context of a Catholic Church embroiled in scandal, especially following appalling revelations of the VRT documentary Godvergeten (which roughly translates to 'Godforsaken'). Several politicians and citizens have called on Rome to actively sanction perpetrators and concealers of sexual abuse in the Church.
In particular, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) has repeatedly asked the Vatican to strip disgraced Belgian bishop Roger Vangheluwe of his title ahead of the visit. Vangheluwe resigned from his post as bishop of Bruges in 2010 after confessing to abusing his underage cousin for years. De Croo stated that stripping his title was necessary to ensure the "smooth running" of the trip.
