NEWS
On 10 and 11 October, the Chaplain-President participated in a professors' day at KU Leuven, then gave a lecture at FUTP Bruxelles, then participated in a meeting of the research centre CARES Brussels (caresbrussels.org), then participated in the Ecole doctorale of FUTP Bruxelles. The Central Committee's links with the Academy are well-established!
The annual Archdeaconry Synod of North-West Europe was held in Het Oude Abdij in Drongen from Thursday 5 October until Saturday 7 October. The Secretary-General of the Central Committee was one of roughly 80 delegates from across Benelux to attend. The synod was convened and chaired by Archdeacon Sam Van Leer. Bishop Robert Innis (Diocese in Europe) gave the opening address. There were presentations on: Communications by Ruth Blanco; Fundraising by Juliet Evans, and Women’s Ministry by the Revd Canon Debbie Flach. On Friday, synod heard reports from the Revd Augustine Nwaekwe on Racial Justice; the Revd Canon Stephen Murray on the Youth Network; the Revd Louis Darrant on Living in Love and Faith; and Zélie Peppiette and the newly appointed Archdeaconry Environmental Officer, Peter Boers spoke about Caring for Creation. Additionally, training in church conflict mediation was offered by Sue Haslehurst from Bridge Builders. The final day of synod included business meetings which have been described by the Chaplain-President and Second Secretary. The meetings and reports were all grounded in prayer which took place several times each day.
From 5 to 7 October, the Secretary-General attended the synod of the Church of England Archdeaconry of Benelux, held each October in the Oude Abdij, Drongen. On 7 October, the Chaplain-President and Second Secretary joined the synod, especially to report on behalf of the Central Committee at the AGM of the Anglican Council for Belgium and Luxembourg asbl (which is the canonical meeting of the Church of England and Episcopal Church parishes in our part of the world). The synod was an opportunity for worship, fellowship, mutual support, and the exchange of good ideas.
The Second Secretary writes: "Attending these meetings for the first time was an excellent opportunity to not only share more about what the Central Committee does, but also meet and chat with many people from across the country and the archdeaconry. It was especially encouraging to hear from the youth representatives as they shared their thoughts on how to encourage and engage the younger generations."
Op 5 oktober 2023 was de secretaris-generaal van het centraal comité aanwezig in De Krook van Gent voor de algemene vergadering van Soligion. Acht onderzoekers van Soligon vanuit UAntwerpen hebben de rol van de levensbeschouwingen in Vlaanderen in kaart gebracht wat het sociale middenveld betreft. Er zijn veel voorbeelden - groot en klein - hoe levensbeschouwingen kwetsbare mensen helpen in onze maatschappij. Soms is dit formele samenwerking met de overheid maar soms is het meer verborgen. Er is altijd meer om te onderzoeken.
On 29 September, the Chaplain-President was delighted to participate in the first meeting of the academic year of the Systematic Theology and the Study of Religions Research Unit, KU Leuven, to which he is attached.
On Saturday 30 September 2023, the Secretary-General was honoured to be present at a service celebrating 25 years of ordained ministry and a renewal of ordinations vows of The Revd Augustine Nwaekwe, Chaplain in Brugge, Oostende, Knokke & Kortrijk. Bishop Robert Innes was the preacher and presider. The Roman Catholic bishop of Brugge, Lode Aerts and several ecumenical colleagues were also present, as well as the Mayor of Brugge, Dirk De Fauw, and His Excellency Obinna Onowu, Nigerian Ambassador to Belgium and the E.U. It was a joyful service followed by incredible Nigerian hospitality, speeches, dancing and delicious food. On behalf of the Central Committee, we wish Revd Augustine many more years in his ministry in Belgium.
On 28 September, the Chaplain-President was honoured to represent the Anglicans of Belgium at the Cérémonie du souvenir pour les victimes du tremblement de terre du 9 septembre au Maroc, held at the Great Synagogue of Brussels. In addition to beautiful pieces on the violin and the finest singing from the cantor, the packed synagogue was graced by a sermon from Chief Rabbi Albert Guigui, and by speeches from the President of the Consistoire Israélite Maître Philippe Markiewicz and from the Ambassador of Morocco M. Mohammed Ameur. The whole service was a highly symbolic sign to the people of Belgium that Jew and Muslim are friends, brothers and sisters, and it was a privilege for the Christians present to witness this emotional friendship in the face of the 3,000 people dead and 6,000 people injured by the earthquake earlier this month.
Le 27 septembre, le chapelain-président était ravi d'assister à la fête de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles tenue à l'Hôtel de Ville de Bruxelles en présence du Premier Ministre Alexander De Croo et d'une haute-délégation de l'Assemblée nationale de Côte d'Ivoire. Pendant la cérémonie, le Ministre-Président de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Pierre-Yves Jeholet, a prononcé un discours très intéressant sur la prise en change des multiples extrémismes et radicalismes violents qui sapent la démocratie belge.
On 15 September, the Revd Dr Paul Vrolijk, until recently the canon chancellor of Holy Trinity Brussels and formerly a member of the Central Committee, published a new book: Farewell to my Father (Farewell to my father : Vrolijk, Paul: Amazon.nl: Boeken ). Paul is a scholar of the Hebrew Bible, but this book is a more personal exploration of Paul's emotional and spiritual reactions to his father's death. Following his retirement from Holy Trinity Brussels, Paul is still very much involved in the life of the Anglican Church of Belgium and he also runs Christilience, an organisation aimed at helping people acquire resilience when faced by life's challenges: Christilience.org
On 24 September, the Chaplain-President and the Secretary-General, who are both Anglican priests, took the principal Sunday services at St John's Gent and St Boniface Antwerpen. It is always a pleasure for the Central Committee to get out and about in the Belgian parishes, to offer to help where we can, to listen to news and views, and to pray with our fellow Anglican Christians.
On 22 September, the Chaplain-President met Père Georges Mizingi, a Congolese Catholic priest who is embarking on a PhD project on the great Congolese theologian Oscar Bimwenyi and who has interests in Cardinal Malula relevant to the Theo Teams project being led this year by the Chaplain-President on the relations between Malula and President Mobutu. The Chaplain-President then attended the KU Leuven Faculty of Theology Thesis Fair to speak to potential PhD students about the possibility of being their supervisor: our photo shows him with the Revd Prof Hector Patmore, another Anglican priest who is a professor in the faculty.
On 20 September, the Chaplain-President had the pleasure tinged with sadness of representing the Anglicans of Belgium at the annual prière oecuménique de la rentrée at the Chapelle de l'Europe (Chapelle pour l'Europe | (chapellepourleurope.eu) ), the Jesuit-inspired Christian chaplaincy to the EU Institutions in Brussels, with which the Anglican Church has always enjoyed close relations. Mgr Noël Treanor (papal nuncio to the EU) led the service, assisted by an ecumenical team including the Revd Sarah-Jane King, curate in St Martha and St Mary Leuven. Comte Herman Van Rompuy, president of the Chapelle de l'Europe, gave a fine speech in honour of Père Krystian Sowa, who was leaving his post as director of the Chapelle after 11 years. Père Krystian and the Chaplain-President had spearheaded several initiatives at the Chapelle together in the past, and it was a joy to hear that their "film nights with supper and discussion" are still a popular ministry there. Godspeed to Krystian as he begins his new ministry in the Vatican.
On 20 September, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, represented the six British, Irish and European Anglican Churches who are members of the CEC, together with the six European Old Catholic Churches who are members of the CEC, at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Conference of European Churches (Welcome | CEC Europe ). This meeting had the purpose of voting on minor administrative changes to the constitution of the CEC and was also an excellent opportunity for sharing and discussion between the CEC's Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and Old Catholic branches over lunch.
On 18 September, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, was pleased to meet Heather Roy, Secretary General of the prominent NGO Eurodiaconia (Eurodiaconia ) in her offices next to the European Commission in Brussels, to discuss Eurodiaconia's advocacy and practical action for diaconal service across Europe. Heather is also one of the lay readers at Holy Trinity Brussels (Meet the Team — Holy Trinity Brussels ).
On 14 September, the Chaplain-President was delighted to attend the retirement party of Mgr Herman Cosijns, Secretary-General of the Conférence épiscopale de Belgique/Belgische Bisschoppenconferentie, held in the gardens of the Archbishop's Palace in Mechelen. As his final working act, Cardinal Jozef De Kesel gave a warm speech of thanks, to which Mgr Cosijns equally warmly replied. Their successors as Archbishop and Secretary-General, Mgr Luc Terlinden and Mr Bruno Spriet, were present to guarantee a smooth succession. All the chefs de culte were present to support and encourage. A delicious supper was served after the speeches.
Le 16 septembre, le chapelain-président a eu le plaisir d'assister à la cérémonie officielle des Fêtes de Wallonie au Théâtre Royal de Namur. Entre une bonne musique et une réception délicieuse, trois discours percutants sur l'avenir démocratique de la Wallonie sont prononcés par André Frédéric (président du Parlement wallon), Elio Di Rupo (ministre-président de Wallonie) et Mme Malu Dreyer (ministre-présidente de Rhénanie-Palatinat).
Le 12 septembre, le chapelain-président a représenté le Comité central à une réunion du Conseil consultatif supérieur des cours philosophiques (CCSCP - Enseignement.be - Le Conseil consultatif supérieur des cours philosophiques), organe qui permet aux convictions reconnues d'assurer une liaison fréquente avec le gouvernement de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, l'autorité de tutelle des cours de religion dans les écoles publiques francophones de Belgique. Cette réunion est présidée par Mme Caroline Désir, ministre de l'éducation de la Wallonie et de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles : tous les participants se sont accordés à dire que la réunion a été constructive et positive.
On 12 September, the Chaplain-President was honoured to represent the Central Committee, Bishop Robert and Holy Trinity Brussels at Mgr Luc Terlinden's second enthronement in ten days. Having been consecrated bishop and enthroned in the archbishop's cathedra in Mechelen on 3 September, Mgr Terlinden was then enthroned in his other cathedral, St Michel & St Gudule in Brussels. An enormous congregation attended a service of music and joy to welcome Brussels' new archbishop with enthusiasm and style.
On 9 September, the Chaplain-President was honoured to represent the Anglicans of Belgium at the royal mass to commemorate the anniversary of the death of King Baudouin, which occurred by tragic surprise on 31 July 1993. The mass was celebrated in the royal parish of Notre-Dame de Laeken by Mgr Luc Terlinden, the new archbishop of Malines-Brussels, accompanied by Mgr Noël Treanor (the papal nuncio to the EU) and Mgr Franco Coppola (the papal nuncio to Belgium), in the presence of the King and Queen, as well as of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. King Baudouin was much loved and respected in the English-speaking world: it is a breach of British royal protocol for the Sovereign to attend the funeral of another head of State, but Queen Elizabeth broke this protocol to attend King Baudouin's funeral, so deep was their mutual friendship.
On 8 September, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, spoke to the annual meeting of the Council of Anglican and Episcopal Churches in Germany, meeting in Frankfurt, on the subject: "Defending democracy: the role of the Churches in the democratic process within the EU".
