Minister Crevits maakt kennis met VILD

Op 21 november 2024 heeft Vlaamse minister van het samenleven Hilde Crevits (CD&V) kennis gemaakt met de Vlaams Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog. De kapelaan-president en secretaris-generaal hebben de anglicanen vertegenwoordigd.

De discussie ging rond, onder andere: 1) interlevensbeschouwelijke lesuren in het middelbaar onderwijs, 2) stand van zaken rond de erkenning van lokale geloofsgemeenschappen, 3) modernisering van het erediensten decreet, 4) officiële erkenning van spirituele zorgverleners. 

Het hoofdpunt op de agenda was een gezamelijke verklaringen tegen haat, geweld of discriminatie. Minister Crevits en de hoofden van de levensbeschouwingen hebben die getekend als signaal dat wij samen zullen werken aan een solidaire, inclusieve en verdraagzame samenleving in Vlaanderen. Met deze link vindt u de tekst van de verklaring.

Meeting with the new Director-General at the Ministry of Justice

Le 21 novembre, le Chapelain-président, le secrétaire général et la deuxième secrétaire ont eu le plaisir de participer à une réunion des chefs des cultes et des convictions au ministère de la justice, présidée par Madame Maïté De Rue, la nouvelle directrice générale de la Direction générale Législation, libertés et droits fondamentaux. Il s'agissait d'une réunion de présentation et d'identification des thèmes importants qui feront l'objet de discussions et de décisions dans les mois à venir.

The AIB's first Learning Lab

On the 20th of November, the Anglican Institute in Belgium hosted its first ever Learning Lab. The intention behind these events is to facilitate networking and sharing of ideas between PhD students and researchers connected with the Anglican Church in Belgium. What is to become a regular event was kicked off by two speakers, with Prof. Dr. Jack McDonald and Sr. Julian presenting on their fields of research: “The decolonisation of  African Theology” and “The Teaching of St Paul in Meister Eckhart” respectively. We enjoyed interesting conversations and discussions and look forward to enjoying more presentations and sharing in the next iterations of the AIB Learning Lab. 

"Why words matter" - a call to action against hate speech at the European Parliament

On 19 November, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, attended a joint session of the European Parliament's Article 17 Dialogue and Kaiciid International Dialogue Centre on measures to combat hate speech in the EU. A fascinating array of eminent speakers explained their ideas for promoting liberté and égalité via anti-hate-speech legislation, along with promoting fraternité, a relational and emotional quality which cannot simply be legislated into existence, via the community actions of the religions and philosophical groups.

Fête du Roi / Koningsdag

On 15 November, the Chaplain-President was honoured to represent the Anglicans of Belgium at the annual King's Day celebrations, first at the Te Deum in the Catholic cathedral in Brussels, then at an event in the Belgian Senate, Les mouvements de jeunesse en action / Jeugbewegingen in actie, during which the uniformed youth movements (chiefly the Scouts) presented their work and their vision to the leaders of the nation.

Diocese in Europe Network for Parishes engaged in Refugee Projects

On 7 November, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, spoke to the diocesan network for parishes/chaplaincies engaged in refugee projects about the ways in which the European Institutions in Brussels consider questions of migration, immigration and refugees, and the ways in which the churches and other faith and lifestance groups contribute towards these discussions and decisions.

Forum Chrétien Francophone à Liège #2

Le passage biblique de Romains 10:15 était le thème utilisé au Forum chrétien francophone qui a lieu à l’Institut St-Laurent à Liège du 28 au 31 octobre 2024. Le Forum a pour but de réunir plus de 20 confessions ou familles chrétiennes de différents pays francophones d’Europe. Le chapelain-président a assisté à l’ouverture de la 2ème édition du Forum et le vice-président Eric Sibomana a pu participer au dernier jour de ce rassemblement chrétien du monde francophone. Ces quatre jours n’ont laissé aucun participant indifférent et ont servi à sensibiliser l’Eglise à œuvrer ensemble pour bâtir plus de ponts et moins de murs entre nous. Le constat général est que l’Esprit-Saint est à l’œuvre dans chaque famille chrétienne. Parmi les dires de ceux qui étaient sur place : « Il faut le vivre pour le comprendre » ou encore : « Si Dieu a des enfants partout, ça veut dire que nous sommes frères et sœurs : il y a une seule église. » Le vice-président a croisé Mme Natacha-Ingrid Tinteroff (paroissienne de la paroisse St Michael’s à Paris) qui est venue participer au Forum.

Meeting on arms control and disarmament

On 6 November, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, participated in a seminar jointly organised by the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland bureau in Brussels and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Brussels on the future of international dialogue on arms control and disarmament, in the light of the current war in Ukraine and the refusal of Mr Putin to engage in meaningful arms control conversations with Nato and others. Our conversations were sharpened by the fact that Mr Trump had been elected to the presidency of the USA for a second time the same morning, with possible consequences for the safety and peace of Ukraine. The Churches' contribution to real dialogue on the peace and security of nation states under threat of war was extensively discussed.

Meeting of the FIDIF

On 4 November, the Chaplain-President hosted and chaired at Holy Trinity Brussels a meeting of the Federale Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog/Dialogue Fédéral Interconvictionnel, the informal meeting of the chefs de culte which prepares for formal meetings with the Regional and Federal Governments in Belgium. The Second Secretary took the minutes. On this occasion, representatives of the Catholic, Protestant-Evangelical, Jewish, Anglican, Muslim, Orthodox, Humanist and Buddhist convictions were joined by a delegation from the Forum Hindou de Belgique, who gave a presentation on Belgian Hinduism and on the Forum's path towards legal recognition as a culte reconnu in Belgium.

The Anglican Representations to the UN and EU meet USPG

On 1 November, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, met Ms Martha Jarvis (the Archbishop of Canterbury's Permanent Representative to the UN) and the Revd Dr Duncan Dormor (General Secretary of USPG) at the USPG's headquarters in London, as part of their regular meetings to discuss Anglican Communion lobbying for peace, reconciliation, justice and the values of the Kingdom of God at the UN and EU. A very constructive conversation was had which we hope will lead to an even more prioritised and coordinated approach from the two principal Anglican delegations to international bodies.

Forum Chrétien Francophone à Liège

Le 28 octobre, le chapelain-président fut ravi de représenter Mgr Innes et l'Eglise anglicane en Belgique à la deuxième édition du Forum chrétien francophone, qui se déroule toute la semaine à l'Institut Saint-Laurent de Liège. La première soirée comprenait un délicieux repas des boulettes à la Liégeoise, suivi d'un temps de prière et louange. La soirée fut une excellente opportunité de retrouver de vieux amis de Liège, de Bruxelles, de Malines, ainsi que de s'en faire de nouveaux venus de Beauvais !

Ghanaian memorial service in St John's Gent

On 27 October, the Chaplain-President was privileged to lead the memorial service for Mrs Felicia Abban, the first female professional photographer in Ghana, who had for a time been the personal photographer of Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of post-independence Ghana and architect of the political philosophy of Pan-Africanism. The service was held in St John's Gent with large numbers of the Ghanaian diaspora in Gent attending, and was followed by refreshments provided by Mrs Abban's family.

Concertation des Eglises chrétiennes en Belgique

On 24 October, the Concertation des Eglises chrétiennes en Belgique (in effect the Belgian Council of Churches) met at the Catholic headquarters in Brussels for a full agenda of discussion about issues topical to the member Catholic, Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox Churches. Following the retirement of the Revd Sunny Hallanan, the Anglican delegation is now composed of the Chaplain-President, Canon John Wilkinson and Sister Julian, an Anglican Benedictine sister attached to the Catholic community at Wavreumont near Malmédy.

The Archbishop of Malines-Brussels visits KU Leuven

On 23 October, the Chaplain-President had the great pleasure to attend a question-and-answer session led by Mgr Luc Terlinden, Archbishop of Malines-Brussels, at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies KU Leuven, where Jack is an associate professor. The session was followed by lunch in the faculty library. Notable in the Faculty of Theology are the number of students from the Global South (proportionately more than in any other faculty in the university). Both the Catholic and Anglican Churches are very proud of the Faculty of Theology at KU Leuven, which currently ranks as the 6th best religious studies faculty in the world.

Erfgoedvorming: PARCUM en anglicaanse kerken in Vlaanderen

Op 19 oktober 2024 vond er een vormingsevenement plaats rond erfgoed bij de parochie van St. Boniface anglicaanse kerk te Antwerpen. De dag was een resultaat van samenwerking met PARCUM, het Centraal Comité, het Anglicaans Instituut van België en EVADOC.

Er waren deelnemers van 5 verschillende parochies in Vlaanderen en Brussels, oecumenische vertegenwoordigers en erfgoed experten van Nederland.

Jan Klinckaert gaf een lezing over het belang van erfgoed. Aaldert Prins van EVADOC en KADOC gaf wat toelichting over archieven. Ten slotte, vertelde Julie Aerts over immaterieel erfgoed en hoe verhalen erfgoed ook kunnen zijn.

Dank aan alle deelnemers, de vrijwilligers van St. Bonifacekerk en verschillende partners voor een zeer geslaagde dag.

Visit of the Bishop of Leeds to Brussels

On 16 October, Bishop Robert and the Chaplain-President received a delegation from the Church of England in England led by the Bishop of Leeds, the Right Revd Nick Baines, who were spending the day in Brussels in connection with a report being written by the Bishop of Leeds on the future of the Church of England's relationship with Europe. Bishop Baines went on to meet Baron Frans van Daele of the European Commission, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, the Deputy British Ambassador to Belgium, the head of the German Protestant delegation in Brussels and the General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches. We hope that Bishop Nick received a good flavour of European Anglicanism and our various interfaces with European life and politics.