2024-05-20 18:50:29
LThe Vatican introduced on Monday that Pope Francis will go to Belgium and Luxembourg from September 26 to 29.
The Vatican mentioned in a press launch that the pope will begin his go to to Luxembourg on September 26 following which arrive in Belgium “to go to Brussels, Leuven and New Leuven from September 26 to 29.”
The Belgian Catholic Church responded enthusiastically to the information, saying it was “very grateful to Pope Francis for this extraordinary go to.”
For Archbishop Luc Trinden, a former pupil of each universities, the go to constituted “a particular shock and nice pleasure”.
Bishop Trinden added: “What’s extra, the pope visits only a few European international locations, even fewer in Western Europe. We actually did not count on that. However on the similar time, I believe Pope Francis has wished to return to Belgium for a very long time. In response to the archbishop, the pope met many Belgians in Argentina when he was younger.
Bishop Trinden identified that the Pope additionally got here to satisfy with the mental and scientific group and, by extension, with Belgian society and its totally different elements.
We already know that the Pope will go to Belgium within the second half of September as a part of the 600th anniversary commemorations of the College of Leuven and KU Leuven. Two universities in Louvain will have fun the anniversary in 2025 and have invited the Pope.
Pope Francis may additionally go to Brussels’ Cokerberg Cathedral.on the web site www.visitedupape.beIt’s also reported that he’ll host the closing Mass within the capital on Sunday, September 29, however the location has not but been specified.
We will additionally study that many occasions will probably be organized on the event of the arrival of Pope Francis.
Full plans for the go to are at present being developed. The Belgian Bishops’ Convention, below the steering of Honorary Nuncio Alexis Bruins, has established a nationwide committee to organize for the go to. He’ll seek the advice of intently with varied companions, together with the bishops’ convention, embassies, the Ministry of International Affairs and the 2 Louvain universities.
Pope Francis will go to Belgium from September 26 to 29
As soon as the plan is finalized, detailed info will probably be introduced on the web site www.visitedupape.be.
The final papal go to to Belgium dates once more to 1995, when John Paul II got here to beatify Fr Damien. His subsequent visits have been restricted to Brussels. His successor, Benedict XVI, by no means visited Belgium throughout his preach.
Francis’ go to comes because the Catholic Church is on the heart of controversy in Belgium. In December, the bishops apologized once more and known as for an impartial investigation following new testimony got here to mild that delivered to mild a scandal involving nuns colluding in foster care to separate youngsters from their moms during the last century.
The follow largely entails younger, single ladies, typically victims of rape or incest, whose mother and father need to cover their pregnancies. The latter personally contacted spiritual teams and contacted households awaiting adoption.
Pope Francis has not traveled overseas for a yr, and his well being has deteriorated in current months, forcing him to desert a lot of commitments.
Since being elected in 2013, he has traveled overseas 44 occasions, most lately visiting Marseille in southern France in September 2023.
Jorge Bergoglio, who now makes use of a wheelchair, has lately suffered from knee, hip and colon issues and is experiencing respiration issues.
His well being has made his deliberate journey to the borders of Asia and Oceania within the first half of September much more formidable, which is able to take him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, his longest journey since taking workplace .
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