Mardi 29 novembre, le Comité Central assistait à un séminaire - organisé à Louvain-la-Neuve par la Chaire “Droits et Religions” de l’UCLouvain- à destination des Cultes et Convictions reconnues en Belgique. L’objectif de cet après-midi était d’offrir un état des lieux de la situation des rapports entre les cultes et convictions et l’Etat belge dans un contexte européen. Les reconnaissances officielles des cultes et convictions ont lieu depuis l’indépendance du pays au XIXe siècle, mais le droit régissant ces reconnaissances ne cesse d’évoluer au gré des réformes constitutionnelles, du développement de la législation européenne et de l’arrivée de nouveaux cultes et convictions sur le territoire national. Il est donc nécessaire, tant pour le Législateur que pour les autorités des Cultes et Convictions reconnues, de se tenir à la page des évolutions législatives en la matière.
LoGoï Institute
Anglican Prison Ministry Coordinator and Central Committee member, Eric Sibomana, joined other former students of Emouna Belgium to establish LoGoï whose mission is to be: Intercultural, International & Interconvictional. On Sunday 4 December 2022 at the Prince Albert Club, LoGoï inaugurated their proposal to establish a European Charter for Interconvictionality. The Secretary-General had the pleasure of attending as well and listening to many interesting speakers. The event ended with a solemn moment where all members of LoGoï officially signed the mission statement.
Appointment of the new Vice-President of the Central Committee
On 1 December, confirmation from the Ministry of Justice came through of the appointment by the Minister of Justice in the name of HM the King of the new Vice-President of the Central Committee. This is the Reverend Dr Catriona Laing. She succeeds Canon Stephen Murray, who resigned as Vice-President in September in order to be appointed as Secretary-General. According to the law of 1875, the members of the Central Committee are appointed by the King of the Belgians on the advice of the Chaplain-President (or in the case of a vacancy for the post of Chaplain-President, on the advice of the Bishop of Gibraltar-in-Europe). We are thrilled to welcome Catriona to the Central Committee: she is chaplain of St Martha and St Mary Leuven (Staff and Councils (anglicanchurchleuven.be)), assistant chaplain of Holy Trinity Brussels (Catriona Laing — Holy Trinity Brussels) and assistant dean of Women's Ministry in the Diocese in Europe (Diocese appoints Dean and Assistant Dean of Women's Ministry - Latest News (anglican.org)). Her academic writing centres especially on Anglican-Muslim relations. Welcome, Catriona!
Meeting of the FIDIF
On 1 December, the Central Committee hosted the FIDIF (Federale Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog/Dialogue Interconvictionnel Fédéral) at Holy Trinity Brussels. The presidents of Belgian Judaism, Islam, Anglicanism, Protestant-Evangelicalism and Buddhism were present, alongside representatives from Belgian Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Secular Humanism. The Secretary-General and the Second Secretary took the minutes and Guido Bowen (pre-ordination intern at Holy Trinity) kindly served the refreshments. The main agenda items were preparation for another FIDIF conference after the success of our conferences in recent years on "Relgioptimiste", "Jail & Justice" and "Never Alone", and practical preparation for the next Dialoograad/Conseil de Dialogue with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice at the end of January.
Round Table on Migration at the EKD Offices
On 29 November, the Chaplain-President was privileged to be one of the speakers at a round table on the subject of migration hosted at the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland's Brussels office. The EKD and the Roman Catholic Bishops' Conference in Germany have jointly produced a major report on a Christian approach to migration and refugees in Europe, Shaping Migration in a Humane Manner: Human dignity of migrants in a migration society – EKD The report was presented by Dr Stefan Hesse, archbishop of Hamburg, and a number of MEPs and church commentators then offered comments and analysis on it. The Chaplain-President's comments centred on the impressive ecumenical scope of the report and its rooting of modern humanitarian responses to migration in clear biblical and historical Christian origins.
Le Comité central à Lyon #2
Le dimanche 27 novembre, le chapelain-président a eu le plaisir de participer aux côtés de Mgr Innes à un culte oecuménique au Grand Temple de Lyon, où le ministère du révérend Peter Hanson est la concrétisation des accords de Reuilly, desservant à la fois les paroisses de Lyon rive gauche (protestante) et de Trinity Church (anglicane) : Passeways - grandtemple.fr Cette visite a été un heureux rappel au chapelain-président de son propre ministère comme pasteur du Temple Neuf de Metz entre 2009 et 2011, suite aux mêmes accords de Reuilly : Bienvenue au Temple Neuf de Metz - Paroisse du Temple Neuf de Metz (templeneufmetz.org)
Le Comité central à Lyon #1
Dans le cadre du groupe de suivi des Accords de Reuilly entre anglicans britanniques et protestants français, le chapelain-président a eu l'honneur de se rendre à Lyon entre le 23 et le 27 novembre au sein de l'équipe de Mgr Innes en ce dialogue oecuménique important. Notre évêque y a également participé à une table ronde sur la mission organisée par la paroisse protestante de Lyon rive gauche : Accueil - Grand Temple (epudf.org)
National Ecumenical Study Day
The Secretary-General of the Central Committee attended the National Ecumenical Study Day in Liége on Saturday 26 November 2022. The theme was ‘Ecumenism: the confusing languages of Babel or the abundance of Pentecost?’ Lectures were delivered by representatives of the Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches - alternating in French and Flemish. The Anglican speaker was the former Archdeacon of North-West Europe (Benelux), Meurig Williams who spoke of his own rich ministry experience including languages such as French, Dutch, English, Welsh and now, Irish! For many, the highlight of the day was listening to the Lord’s Prayer being chanted in Aramaic in the Cathedral in Liége!
Journée d'étude à l'Ecole Royale Militaire
On 22 November, the Chaplain-President was delighted to attend a study-day organised by the Ministry of Defence's Service d'Assistance Religieuse et Morale at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, chaired by the SARM's president, General Pierre Neirinckx - who was kind enough to visit the Central Committee at Holy Trinity Brussels earlier this year. A succession of fascinating speakers unfolded the reality of the religious settlements in the EU and in Belgium, before explaining their current application to the Belgian Armed Forces.
Fête du Roi/Koningsdag
On 15 November, the Chaplain-President represented the Anglican Church in Belgium at the two celebrations of King's Day in Brussels: first at the National Te Deum in the Catholic cathedral, then at the session in the Belgian Senate at which the Prime Minister, the President of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate all spoke. Following tradition, HM the King stayed at home with his family, and Their Majesties King Albert and Queen Paola attended the King's Day celebrations on his behalf.
Remembrance Sunday sermon in Cambridge
On 13 November, the Chaplain-President was honoured to preach at choral evensong in his old college, Pembroke College Cambridge, where the chapel (built in 1665) was the first building designed by Sir Christopher Wren. His sermon explained the inspiration of the famous fictional detective Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's experience of some of the 250,000 Belgians who were refugees in the UK during the First World War, and supported continued Church support of the desperate, the vulnerable and the refugee.
11 November
On 11 November, the Chaplain-President was honoured to represent the Anglican Church in Belgium at the National Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Burial of the Unknown Soldier at the Colonne du Congrès in Brussels, in the presence of HM the King.
The Central Committee in front of a screen...
The work of the Central Committee is diverse and varied, as this news page illustrates. But occasionally, like lots of people post-pandemic, we find ourselves stuck in front of a computer-screen all day! On 9 November, the Chaplain-President spent literally 9 hours in zooms, first on a training-day for Bishops' Reviewers (inspectors of Church of England theological colleges and courses), then at a meeting of the Collège des Professeurs at FUTP Bruxelles.
Discussion with British Embassy on Belgian Prison Policy
On 25 October, the Chaplain-President and Second Secretary met Mr Jonathan Mayers, a diplomat at the British Embassy in Brussels and an expert on political and religious radicalisation, to discuss Belgian prison policy, anti-radicalisation, and the role of prison chaplains in this important work. An excellent discussion was had, and we intend to invite Mr Mayers to our next Anglican Prison Chaplains' training-day at HTB.
African Political Theologies conference at KU Leuven
On 3 November, the Chaplain-President attended a conference at KU Leuven on African Political Theologies, accompanied by one of his PhD students, Nathan Ngoy, who is preparing a thesis on the cultural impact of European Protestant missions in Congo (African Political Theologies. Mapping and Constructing a Contested Field - Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies (kuleuven.be) ). This conference continued the work of the recent seminal conference of FUTP Bruxelles on Afropéanité, at which the Chaplain-President also participated (Afropéanité : retour sur un colloque fondateur à Bruxelles – Regards protestants ).
Visit to Lambeth Palace
On 4 November, the Chaplain-President visited Lambeth Palace, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury directly across the Thames from the Houses of Parliament in London, to meet Dr Malcolm Brown (director of Faith and Public Life, Church of England) and Dr Charles Reed (International Affairs adviser, Church of England) for discussion about the future of the UK's relationship with the EU, and the ways in which the Anglican Church can foster unity and friendship in that relationship.
Vlaams Interlevensbeschouwelijke dialoog
Op 28 oktober namen leden het Centraal Comité deel van de laatste vergadering van de Vlaams Interlevenbeschouwelijke Dialoog (VILD) onder de voorzitterschap van de orthodoxe kerk in België. In het bijzonder ging het over de beroepskwalificatie procedure voor spirituele- en levensbeschouwelijke-zorgverleners; een uitnodiging aan de onderzoekers van het Soligion project van UAntwerpen; stand van zaken over de VILD verklaring rond seksuele diversiteit; en de stand van zaken rond de erkenning van lokale levensbeschouwelijke gemeenschappen.
Prison Chaplains' Ecumenical Training
The Central Committee organises its own training, supervision and support for our Prison Chaplains team, but we were pleased to be invited to the Journée de formation nationale de l'Aumônerie protestante et évangélique des Etablissements fermés in Rhode-Saint-Genèse on 22 October. Mr Egbert van Groesen and Mrs Grace West were unable to attend, but the Chaplain-President, the Secretary-General, Mr Eric Sibomana and the Revd Charles Kabera were present to share with our Evangelical colleagues for the day.
The Chaplain-President and Secretary-General appointed to diocesan posts
The Central Committee's scope extends further than its office in Holy Trinity Brussels! Bishop Robert announced this week (New posts in Belgium will benefit diocese - Latest News (anglican.org) ) new part-time posts for the Chaplain-President (as Bishop Robert's Adviser for EU Affairs) and for the Secretary-General (as Diocesan Coordinator for Youth Networks). We rejoice at the confidence shown in the Central Committee by the Diocese in Europe through these appointments.
Conference on Afropéanité et Conditions Féminines
On 19 and 20 October, the Chaplain-President, who is Professor of History there, was privileged and delighted to participate in an international conference organised by FUTP Bruxelles on the life and witness of African-European women ( Colloque inaugural du CARES | FUTP ). The first day of the conference was held in the magnificent Hôtel de Ville in Brussels, the second day in the Senghor cultural centre in Etterbeek near the European Parliament. A particular and moving privilege was the conferral of honorary doctorates on the Franco-Cameroonian author Léonora Miano and the Congolese doctor and Nobel prize winner Denis Mukwege. This event was reported in the press here: Leonora Miano et Denis Mukwege honorés à Bruxelles – Regards protestants
