Pope Francis sought to encourage and reinvigorate the Catholic Church in Belgium, which has been disheartened by the abuse crisis in the first half of this century. He addressed the country’s bishops, and representatives of its priests, religious and pastoral workers the morning of Sept. 27 in the crowded Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels.
He called on them to be a “church that never closes its doors, a church that offers everyone an opening to the infinite, and that knows how to look beyond.” He encouraged them to be a “church that evangelizes, that lives the joy of the Gospel, and practices mercy.”
The sun was shining for the first time during his visit here when he arrived at the fifth largest basilica in the world as if to signal that a new day was dawning for this church that has contributed so much to Belgian society and the universal church in the past. Before he arrived, a rainbow appeared in the sky and someone in the crowd waiting outside the basilica remarked, “It’s a sign that God is with us today.”
As we waited for Francis to arrive, I spoke to two people to see what they expected from his visit. I talked first with Théophile Kisalu, a priest from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (a former Belgian colony) and one of the many African priests now working in Belgium. He works in a parish in the Diocese of Tournai in the southeast of the country.
“I am very happy that the pope is coming and I would like him to give us a message of encouragement and hope because so many priests here feel disheartened and discouraged because of the abuse scandal and the way this was handled by the hierarchy,” he told me. “I am looking for a message of hope from Pope Francis, and words to lift up our spirits.”
I also spoke to Lieve Gommers, a co-worker of one of the auxiliary bishops of Brussels. She felt the pope’s visit was very important because “he brings us together as a people, as a church. This is important, because we have many different views in the Belgian church but today we come together as one.”
“The whole situation in Belgium has been very difficult in these past years and we need to come together in unity, and he brings this about,” she added. “The press says Pope Francis speaks well, but not the bishops. But it is not true what they say about the bishops. I know, I see up close that they are doing a lot, also for the victims, and they are trying to change things for the better.”
Francis’ talk responded well to their aspirations if one was to judge by the warm applause that interrupted him as he spoke on four or five occasions.
He was welcomed with thunderous applause when he entered the basilica, whose construction began in 1905 and, after interruptions caused by two world wars, was only finished in 1971. Those gathered knew Francis had spent two hours with 17 victims of clergy abuse last evening, and that before coming here this morning he had shared breakfast with a group of 10 homeless persons and migrants at the parish church of St. Gilles, which provides breakfast every Saturday morning for those in need.
They cheered and applauded as he moved up the central aisle of this enormous church, built in Art Dèco style, to which Pius XII granted the title of basilica in 1952. He was welcomed at the altar by the young archbishop of Malines-Bruxelles, Luc Terlinden, and then listened to testimonies from a priest, a pastoral worker, a lay theologian involved in the Synod on Synodality, a woman religious and a prison chaplain.
“Belgium is very much a crossroads, and you are a church ‘on the move,’” the pope said. He recalled that for some time the Belgian church has “been trying to transform the presence of the parishes in this region, and to reinvigorate the formation of the laity,” and “above all to be a community that is close to the people, and that accompanies them, bearing witness through works of mercy.”
Responding also to the testimonies he had heard, he focused his remarks on three words: “evangelization, joy and mercy.”
Referring to evangelization, he said, “the changes in our time and the crisis of faith we are experiencing in the West have impelled us to return to what is essential, namely the Gospel. The Good News that Jesus brought to the world must once again be proclaimed to all and allowed to shine forth in all its beauty.”
He described “the present crisis” as “a time given in order to shock us, to make us question and to change.” He called it “a valuable opportunity” a “kairòs,” for “rousing ourselves from sleep and rediscovering the ways of the Spirit.” He told them, “when we experience desolation, we must always ask ourselves what message the Lord wishes to convey to us. And what does this crisis show us?”
He said the crisis “demonstrates that we have moved from a Christianity located within a welcoming social framework to a ‘minority’ Christianity, or better, a ‘Christianity of witness.’” He said it “requires the courage to undertake an ecclesial conversion for enabling those pastoral transformations that concern our habitual ways of doing things, and the language in which we
express our faith, so that they are truly directed to evangelization.”
He said priests “need this courage in order to be priests who are not just preserving or managing a past legacy, but pastors who are in love with Jesus Christ and who are attentive to responding to the often implicit demands of the Gospel as they walk with God’s holy people… sometimes ahead of their people, sometimes in their midst and sometimes behind them.” He told them, “when we share the Gospel, the Lord opens our hearts to encounter those who are different from us.”
He noted that “there are different dreams and spiritualities among young people” and said, this is “good and necessary” because “there can be many personal or community paths, yet leading us towards the same goal, to encounter the Lord.” Repeating what he said at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Francis said, “There is room for everyone in the church and no one should be a mere copy of anyone else. Unity in the church is not uniformity, but rather finding harmony within diversity!”
Then referring to “the synodal process” that has been underway since October of 2021 and is being implemented, Francis emphasized that “[it] must involve returning to the Gospel.” He said, “It is not about prioritizing ‘fashionable’ reforms, but asking, how can we bring the Gospel to a society that is no longer listening or has distanced itself from the faith.”
Pope Francis next turned to the theme of joy, and said, “We are not talking here about passing joys, nor about indulging in patterns of escapism or consumerist amusement. We are talking about a greater joy that accompanies and sustains our lives, even in dark or painful moments.” He called it “a gift from God. It is the joy of hearts kindled by the Gospel. It is knowing that we are not alone on our journey and that even in situations of poverty, sin and affliction, God is near. He cares for us and will not allow death to have the last word.”
He told them, “let your preaching, your celebrations, your service and apostolates radiate the joy of your hearts, for this will stir up questions and attract even those who are far away.”
He went on to refer to mercy, the third aspect of his reflection, and said, “The Gospel, embraced and shared, received and given, leads us to joy because it makes us discover that God is the Father of mercy, who is moved to compassion for us, who lifts us up when we fall and who never withdraws his love from us.”
Francis stressed that God’s love is constant even when we do something “serious.” He said, “This can sometimes seem ‘unjust’ when we are faced with the experience of evil” but that is because “we simply apply an earthly justice that says, ‘Whoever does wrong must pay.’ Yet God’s justice is greater: those who have done wrong are called to right their wrongs. But they need God’s merciful love to heal their hearts. It is through his mercy that God justifies us; he makes us righteous by giving us a new heart, a new life.”
In this context, he referred to Mia, a woman who gave testimony of working with victims of abuse, and said, “thank you for the great effort you make to transform anger and pain into help, closeness and compassion.” Francis said, “Abuse generates atrocious suffering and wounds, undermining even the path of faith. And there is a need for a great deal of mercy to keep us from hardening our hearts before the suffering of victims, so that we can help them feel our closeness and offer all the help we can.”
He added, “We must learn from them, as you said, to be a church at the service of all without belittling anyone. Indeed, one of the roots of violence stems from the abuse of power when we use the positions we have to crush or manipulate others.”
Then referring to the chaplain, Pieter, who works with prisoners, Francis remarked, “mercy is a key word for prisoners. Jesus shows us that God does not distance himself from our wounds and impurities. He knows that we can all make mistakes, but that no one is a mistake. No one is lost forever.” He said, “It is certainly right to follow all the paths of earthly justice and the relevant human, psychological and criminal processes; but punishment must be a medicine; it must lead to healing. People must be helped to get back on their feet and find their way in life and in society. Let us remember: we can all make mistakes, but no one is a mistake, no one is lost forever. Mercy, always mercy.”
He concluded by referring to a work of art by René Magritte, a famous Belgian artist who died in 1967, entitled “L’acte de foi” (“The Act of Faith”).
“It depicts a closed door viewed from the inside of a room, a door that has been broken through, thus showing us the open sky. The image invites us to go beyond, to direct our gaze forward and upward and never to close in on ourselves,” he said. He offered them the image “as a symbol of a church that never closes its doors, a church that offers everyone an opening to the infinite, and that knows how to look beyond. This is the church that evangelizes, that lives the joy of the Gospel and practices mercy. Walk together, all of you, with the Holy Spirit, in order to be a church like this. Without the Spirit, nothing Christian can take place.”
His words drew prolonged applause. It was clear he had reached their hearts. The gathering concluded with the singing of the Salve Regina in Latin.
From the basilica, Pope Francis went to the Church of Our Lady of Laeken to pray before the tomb of King Baudouin of Belgium, who abdicated his throne for a day so he did not have to give his assent to a bill Parliament passed in 1990 legalizing abortion.
The pope was welcomed by King Philippe (the late king’s nephew) and his wife, and after praying the pope made some remarks that stirred some political controversy. He praised King Baudouin's “courage” for stepping down for a day so as to “not sign a murderous law,” and hoped he could one day be a candidate for sainthood. Francis urged Belgians today to look to the late king at a time when “criminal laws” are making headway, according to the Vatican press office statement. Belgian sources said the pope was alluding to the law to expand the time for abortion that is currently being discussed in parliament. Later, the Royal Palace distanced the King from the pope’s remarks, saying they had come to the tomb out of courtesy as Francis had asked to visit it.
On his return to the nunciature, Francis met a number of refugee families, including a Christian family from Syria and a Muslim family from Djibouti who had come to Belgium through the “humanitarian corridors” project organized by the Sant’Egidio community.
That afternoon, he went to the second Louvain Catholic University, the French speaking one, which like Leuven University will also celebrate its 600th anniversary next year. At Leuven, Francis engaged with the students, and they with him in a truly festive mood. It differed significantly from yesterday’s encounter at Leuven and, at least in this author’s view, revealed the two different souls of the Belgian nation, and not only from a linguistic perspective.
The focus in Leuven was on refugees, the focus at Louvain was on ecology, and the presentation of a long letter to the pope drafted by 50 students, scientists and academicians aimed at initiating a dialogue with the pope regarding their concerns about “eco-anxiety, inequality, philosophical roots, the role of women in society and frugality.”
In a note issued immediately after the event, the rector of the university, Françoise Smets, said “we note the convergence of views [with the pope] regarding the environmental and social inequalities denounced by [Université Catholique Louvain], but we also note a major difference of opinion regarding the role of women in society.” The role of women in society and the church was also raised yesterday at Leuven by the rector of that university in his address to the pope.
Pope Francis then drove around the square in front of the university building to greet the crowd that had gathered, and then returned to Brussels, where he had a meeting and a question and answer session with the Jesuits in Belgium at the Jesuit-run St. Michael College.
He concludes his visit to Belgium tomorrow morning, celebrating Mass in King Baudouin Stadium before returning to Rome. On the return flight, he will hold a press conference that America will cover.
