On 30th June, the Chaplain-President and the Secretary, accompanied by Mr David Sayers of Holy Trinity Brussels, attended a feedback session at the Ministry of Justice in which the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior presented their initial joint audit of the security of Anglican buildings in Belgium, having used Holy Trinity Brussels as an example. These findings will be fed to the council at Holy Trinity Brussels, and will be made public next year, when a larger report on the security of the buildings of the Recognised Religions, Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid and Buddhism will be published by the two government ministries concerned.
Meeting of the Central Committee
On 29th June, the Central Committee met by zoom to discuss a full agenda. It was the first meeting in its new composition. The next meeting in September will hopefully be in-person.
Holy Trinity Brussels organises study-day on the Church of England's "Pastoral Principles"
On 26th June, a study-day took place at Holy Trinity Brussels, led by the Revd Annie Bolger and several others, including the Chaplain-President, on the Church of England's new "Pastoral Principles" (The Pastoral Principles | The Church of England ), which are a basis for Anglicans who have different stances on various issues to speak in charity and mutual trust together. The Pastoral Principles especially relate to the current discussions in the Church of England about LGBTQIA+ issues (Living in Love and Faith | The Church of England ) but clearly have a much wider use. One way in which this study-day facilitated wider discussion was its organisation in a totally bilingual English-French structure, a way of honouring the large francophone community in the parish.
Central Committee at the Protestant Faculty in Brussels
Both the Chaplain-President and the Secretary lecture at the university Faculteit voor Protestantse Theologie en Religiestudies te Brussel (Faculteit voor Protestantse Godgeleerdheid (fptr.be) ). On 24th July, the teaching staff of the faculty met to allocate student grades and to discuss the programme at the faculty next year. The Chaplain-President will be teaching a new course from next year on Global Anglicanism, using our own Belgian Anglican resources rooted in Nigeria, Congo-Kinshasa and Rwanda.
CAGO signs agreement with City of Antwerp
On 23rd June, the Chaplain-President and Secretary were present at the headquarters of the City of Antwerp's Education Department to witness the signing by Canon Ann Turner, president of CAGO (https://www.centralanglican.be/onderwijs ), of a protocol between the Recognised Religions and Vrijzinnigheid and the City of Antwerp to guarantee openness, listening, and mutual support across the teaching of RE in Antwerp.
Consultation with the Recognised Religions about a new law in the Brussels Region
On 22nd June, the Chaplain-President and Secretary participated in a Zoom meeting with the other Recognised Religions and representatives of the Brussels Regional Government to discuss the text of a proposed law updating and streamlining the material arrangements for churches, synagogues and mosques in Brussels.
Panathlon webinar on the interactions between sport and religion in Belgium
On 23rd June, the Chaplain-President and the Secretary participated in a webinar organised by Panathlon Wallonie-Bruxelles (http://www.panathlon.be/ ) on "Interactions entre sport et religion : réalités de terrain". The Central Committee is a member of SportConsilium (https://sportconsilium.org/le-comite/ ), an organisation which seeks to maximise participation in sporting activities in Belgium by diminishing potential obstacles due to religious misunderstandings.
Further relaxations to the emergency measures in churches
From 27th June, further relaxations are possible in the public worship and parish life of our churches, agreed by the Concernation Committee on 18th June. These relaxations are governed by the ongoing National Protocols (NL binnen and buiten, FR intérier and extérieur) and the Explanatory Documents (1 & 2). We rejoice that the mass vaccination campaign is yielding such speedy changes to the level of personal security in our land!
The Central Committee on the Cathedral Chapter
On 17th June, the Diocese in Europe's cathedral chapter (Cathedral Chapter - Diocese in Europe (anglican.org) ) met by zoom. The chapter is the body of canons (senior clergy and laity), spread across the three cathedral churches of the diocese in Gibraltar, Valletta and Brussels, who pray for and advise Bishop Robert and Bishop David. Both the Chaplain-President and the Vice-President sit on chapter, as do Paul Vrolijk and John Wilkinson from Holy Trinity Brussels, and Andrew Wagstaff and Ann Turner from St Boniface Antwerp. The main topic was a presentation from the Missions to Seafarers (MtS), one of the principal Anglican mission and service organisations (The Mission to Seafarers | Working In Over 200 Ports Worldwide ). St Boniface Antwerp has enjoyed a close relationship with MtS for over half a century, and an appointment for a priest to share ministry at St Boniface and at the Port of Antwerp, to replace our much-loved colleague Brian Millson who died in March this year, is currently in process.
Emouna returns to HTB
After a period of nine months in which the interfaith training course Emouna Belgique (https://www.emouna.be/ ) has been organised online only, on 16th June, because of relaxations in the emergency measures, the final session this year was able to take place in person, and it was the Anglicans' turn to host. Observing the Covid-19 regulations, the day included presentations by students of their group projects, the giving of diplomas in association with UCLouvain, lunch in the courtyard, and an afternoon art session. The Revd Charles Kabera graduated from Emouna this year, and we offer him hearty congratulations! Next year, Emoena België will be organised in Dutch rather than French (https://www.emoena.be/ ) and another of our prison chaplains, Egbert van Groesen, will represent the Anglican Church as a student.
Licensing of the new chaplain to Leuven
On 8th June 2021 Bp Robert officially licensed Dr Catriona Laing as chaplain of St Martha and St Mary in Leuven. Adhering to all Covid-19 restrictions, the service went ahead in the chapel where St Damian of Molokai is burried and Bp Robert has written in his blog about the very spiritual experience. We wish Cationa all the best in her ministry.
The Central Committee masters Persopoint
The Chaplain-President and the Secretary continue to attend sessions at the Ministry of Justice each Friday in June in order to master the online Persopoint system from the summer, enabling the Central Committee to handle directly matters of the appointment, registration, pay and conditions of the Anglican clergy and readers who draw State stipends in Belgium.
Central Committee involved in new book
On 11th June, The Chaplain-President attended the online book launch of Religious Radicalism: Demarcations and Challenges (Brussels, Uitgeverij ASP, 2021), to which he had contributed a chapter on the historical relationship between Dutch Protestantism and aggressive Dutch colonialism. There are sobering lessons to be learned by the modern Churches from this difficult history, and the Central Committee commits itself to open, friendly and equal dialogue and action with the other faiths and lifestances in our land.
Evadoc AGM
On 19th June 2021 the Chaplain-President attended the online AGM of Evadoc (Protestant-Evangelical Documentation), a subgroup of Kadoc (Catholic Documentation), who tend to the parish archives of Evangelical and Anglican congregations in Flanders. Board members of the Evangelical Theological Faculty (ETF) also joined.
Relaxations to the Covid emergency rules in churches
From 9 June, following negotiation between the Ministry of Justice and the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid, in-person worship inside churches, synagogues, mosques and temples will become possible for up to 100 people masked and spaced 1.5m apart, with outside worship possible for up to 200 people masked and spaced 1.5m apart. The full details can be seen in the interfaith National Protocols (indoors, NL and FR, and outdoors, FR and NL). There is also an Explanatory Document from the Central Committee, which can be seen here. The Anglican parishes may now prepare new parish protocols to show how these rules would work in their own buildings. This is real progress along the road to an exit from the pandemic and we are grateful for it!
Vaccination campaign in the Brussels Region
Meeting of the Federale Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog/Dialogue Interconvictionnel Fédéral
The Central Committee is a member of two official governmental dialogues: the Dialoograad/Conseil de Dialogue, which brings together the federal government (normally the Prime Minister and/or the Minister of Justice) and the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid, and the VILD (Vlaamse Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog) which brings together the Flemish regional government and the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid. There is also an informal gathering called the FIDIF (Federale Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog/Dialogue Interconvictionnel Fédéral), at which the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid meet with representatives from the Ministry of Justice to prepare projects of mutual interest. On 3rd June, the Chaplain-President and Secretary attended a treams meeting of the FIDIF to discuss several matters including the preparation of a major conference on the theme of reactions to the covid pandemic from the point of view of the lifestances.
Finalising the National Protocol for indoor worship
On 2nd June, the Chaplain-President and Secretary spent the afternoon and early evening in a zoom meeting with the Ministry of Justice and the other Recognised Religions discussing and putting the finishing touches to the new National Protocol for indoor worship, valid for all the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid after the expected partial relaxation of the emergency covid measures from 9 June. The Central Committee will be in touch with parishes very soon about the details of the National Protocol.
Recognised religions meet with cabinet Somers
On 2nd June the Recognised religions met members of the cabinet of Minister Somers to discuss the draft decree for recognition of congregations. As always, the meeting happened in a respectful and jovial atmosphere, though the Recognised religions did raise several concerns concerning the draft text. Ministers will be discussing the text this Friday.
Holy Trinity Francophone leadership discusses LLF
On 31 May, the Chaplain-President joined the French-speaking leadership of Holy Trinity Brussels (Reverends John Wilkinson, Jean-Bosco Turahirwa and Charles Kabera, Mrs Grace West and Mr Eric Sibomana) to discuss ways in which the Church of England report Living in Love and Faith ("LLF": Living in Love and Faith | The Church of England) could be discussed in the large Francophone African community in the parish.
