“Please have more children”, and blesses a pregnant woman –

Pope Francis has arrived in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, the second stop on his journey to central Europe. Upon arrival at 7.06pm on Thursday 26 September at Melsbroek Air Base, a welcome ceremony was held. After the landing of the Boeing 737 of the Luxair company, the apostolic nuncio to Belgium, Archbishop Franco Coppola and the head of protocol of Belgium boarded the plane from the front staircase to greet the Pope. When the Pontiff got off the aircraft, the welcome anthem “Aux Champs”, reserved for Heads of State, was played. He was later welcomed by Belgium’s King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and two children who presented him with flowers. After the national anthems, the presentation of the delegations. The archbishop of Malines-Brussels Don Luc Terlinden is also part of the Vatican group. At the end, the papal procession moved to the Apostolic Nunciature.

Today Pope Francis is at Laeken Castle for a courtesy visit to the King of the Belgians His Majesty Philip Leopold Lodewijk Maria and Queen Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz. The Pontiff was welcomed by the Royal family. After the official photos and the signing of the Book of Honor, the private meeting takes place followed by the exchange of gifts. «With a grateful soul I visit Belgium, a sign and bridge of peace, where different cultures, languages ​​and peoples coexist in mutual respect. May God bless Belgium!”, Bergoglio wrote in the Book of Honor at Laeken Castle.

The Belgian stop was preceded by the one in Luxembourg where Pope Francis’ 46th international trip began. The Pontiff was welcomed at the airport by the Grand Duke, Henry of Luxembourg, by the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and by the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden. «Pour servir, to serve: with this motto I came among you», are the first words addressed by the Pope to the Luxembourg authorities.

«Luxembourg can show everyone the advantages of peace compared to the horrors of war, of the integration and promotion of migrants compared to their segregation – and for this I thank you very much – the benefits of cooperation between nations in the face of the harmful consequences of hardening of positions and the selfish, short-sighted or even violent pursuit of one’s own interests,” Francis told Luxembourg authorities and civil society. «I saw the percentage of births: please, more children, more children. I’m not saying more children and fewer dogs, I say this in Italy. To you I say: more children”, he added. At the end of his speech, the Pope had lunch at the Archbishop’s House after which he also indulged in something unscheduled: he went to a place to have a coffee with some collaborators and along the way he met and blessed a pregnant woman.