Pope Francis in Belgium

Pope Francis meets with civic authorities in Brussels. Image: Vatican Media

Source: Vatican Media

A 55-minute flight from Luxembourg brought Pope Francis to Brussels' Melsbroek Air Base last night, beginning the second leg of his 46th Apostolic journey abroad. He was welcomed by the Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium, Archbishop Franco Coppola and the Ambassador of Belgium to the Holy See, Patrick Renault.

Awaiting the Pope on the tarmac was the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel, Malines-Bruxelles, Luc Terlinden and a delegation of religious and civil authorities. He was greeted by a guard of honour and military band that played the national anthems of the Vatican and Belgium.

A children's choir also sang songs of welcome for the Holy Father.

The last Pope to visit Belgium was Pope St John Paul II in 1995.

After the welcome ceremony, Pope Francis traveled to the Apostolic Nunciature where he is residing during his stay in Belgium.

This morning (Friday) he paid a courtesy visit to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde at Laeken Castle before meeting with authorities and representatives of civil society.

In his address to civil authorities, Pope Francis praised Belgium as a bridge "between the continent and the British Isles, between the Germanic-and French-speaking regions, between southern and northern Europe." Despite its small size, he said, Belgium is "a bridge enabling concord to spread, and disputes to abate." Europe needs Belgium, he continued, to remind it of its history of peoples and cultures, cathedrals and universities, but also of darker periods of war, colonialism and exploitation. "Europe needs Belgium", Pope Francis repeated, "in order to continue along the path of peace and fraternity among its peoples."

The Holy Father reminded the civil leaders that "peace and harmony are never won once for all", but rather imply "a duty and a mission that needs to be undertaken unceasingly, with great care and patience."

Pope Francis also highlighted the role of the Church in "helping everyone to face challenges and difficulties, not with frivolous enthusiasm or bleak pessimism, but with the certainty that humanity, loved by God, is not destined to collapse into nothingness, but is eternally called to goodness and peace".

He also frankly acknowledged that the Church, as she carries out her mission, must recognize the "fragility and shortcomings of her members", and the "painful counter-testimonies" that appear throughout history.

The Pope noted especially "the tragic issues of child abuse, which is a scourge in the Church", while emphasising the Church's firm commitment to address the issue "by listening to and accompanying those who have been wounded, and by implementing a prevention programme throughout the world".

Pope Francis also recalled the practice of "forced adoptions" that were prevalent in the middle part of the twentieth century, while acknowledging that the practice was often undertaken with good intentions.

With regard to these and other evils that have occurred throughout history, the Pope prayed "that the Church will always find within herself the strength to bring clarity and never conform to the predominant culture, even when the culture uses, in a manipulative way, values derived from the Gospel, drawing from it inauthentic conclusions that cause suffering and exclusion."

Pope Francis concluded his remarks with the prayer "that the leaders of the nations, by looking at Belgium and its history, will be able to learn from it."

He prayed that political leaders would work for peace, and know how "to avoid the danger, disgrace, and absurdity of war."

The Holy Father finished on a note of hope, recalling the motto of his visit: "En route, avec Esperance." In the motto, "Hope", Esperance, is capitalised, he said, precisely to show that hope is not of secondary importance, but is instead "a gift from God that is carried in our hearts."

"I would like to leave you, then, with the following wish for you and for all those living in Belgium", he said. "May you always ask this gift from the Holy Spirit, and welcome it in order to walk together with hope along the path of life and history."

Catholic University of Leuven

After his meeting with civil authorities, Pope Francis traveled from Brussels to Leuven to professors at the Catholic University of Leuven, which is celebrating its 600th anniversary this year.

In his address, the Pope reflected on the need for Catholic universities to offer integral formation for students, so that they may learn to interpret the present and plan for the future. Universities, he said, drive the search for ideas and inspiration, since cultural formation is never fixed.

"It is a fine thing to view universities as generating culture and ideas," he added, "but above all as promoting the passion for seeking truth, at the service of human progress."

In their mission to bring the Gospel to culture, Catholic universities must "expand the boundaries of knowledge," he said, creating a "critical space that both understands and speaks about life."

Pope Francis said our modern society seems to refuse to seek the truth and has lost the passion for searching, looking only for comfort that ends up making everything equal and relative. This outlook results in an "intellectual weariness" that closes us in on ourselves.

"There is likewise the danger of being attracted to an easy, effortless and comfortable 'faith' that does not call anything into question," he added.

Another kind of boundary that must be overcome, said the Pope, relates to a "soulless rationalism" that reduces everything to what is material and visible.

"In this way, we lose our sense of wonder, our ability to marvel, which urges us to look beyond, to raise our eyes heavenwards, to discover that hidden truth, which responds to such fundamental questions as: Why am I alive? What is the meaning of my life?"

The Pope urged university professors to ask God for the grace to "widen our borders," citing a Biblical story from the Book of Chronicles about a man named Jabez (1 Chron 4:10). Our knowledge of our limitations, he said, drives us forward and invites us to "remain an open window onto today's world."

Pope Francis also praised the Catholic University of Leuven for welcoming refugees in their search for a better home and truth.

"What we need is a culture that expands boundaries, and avoids 'sectarianism' or exalting oneself above others," he said. "We need a culture immersed as good 'leaven' within our world, contributing to the common good of humanity."

Pope Francis concluded by inviting university professors to help build a compassionate and inclusive culture that cares for the weak.

"Keep this flame alive; expand boundaries!" he said. "Be restless seekers of truth, and do not allow your enthusiasm to wane lest you yield to intellectual lethargy."