NEWS
On 2 July, further to our blog of 19 June below, the Chaplain-President, Secretary-General and Second Secretary were delighted to invite the Revd June Mark Yanez of St Boniface Antwerp, along with several members of the Filipino community in Belgium, for coffee at Holy Trinity Brussels, in order to discuss the possibilities and opportunities for securing a permanent pastoral ministry to Filipino Anglicans in Belgium, alongside our existing parishes.
The Revd. Sunny Hallanan became the Rector of All Saints, Waterloo in 2011. Since then, she has been actively involved in the life and ministry of that parish, the Anglican Church in Belgium, and as part of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (The Episcopal Church USA). Sunny has represented the Anglicans at the Belgian national ecumenical committee (OCKB/CECB) as well as many other official roles. At the same time, Sunny has worked hands-on to help refugees and the marginalised in our society. On Sunday 30 June 2024, the Secretary-General was honoured to receive a blessing from Sunny before she retires this summer and returns to the USA. The Central Committee wants to thank Sunny for all her faithful service and we wish her many blessings in her retirement.
On 26 June, the Chaplain-President, acting in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, attended a conference of the Wilfried Martens Centre (a research centre linked to the mainstream centre-right EPP (European People's Party) group in the European Parliament) entitled Did secularisation kill God? Changes in religiosity and values among "natives" and "migrants" in Europe, which analysed the differences in religious observance across "native" and "migrant" populations in the EU, with migrant populations typically exhibiting a stronger attachment to religious observance as well as to "traditional values". A lively discussion took place. Our friend Dr Torsten Moritz, secretary-general of the Churches' Commission on Migrants in Europe, made a very perceptive speech on the Churches' role in making migrant communities feel that they belong in Europe.
On 24 June, the Chaplain-President was delighted to have lunch at the British Embassy in Brussels with diplomats specialising in prison policy, to share knowledge and to map out ways in which British citizens who find themselves incarcerated in Belgium can obtain the best level of consular, pastoral and other support. Jack was grateful for the discussion as well as for the excellent gourmet lunch.
Twee keer in het jaar komen de erkende levensbeschouwingen in Vlaanderen samen bij de VRT. Op dinsdag 18 juni 2024 heeft de secretaris-generaal de anglicaanse eredienst vertegenwoordigd bij deze halfjaarlijkse vergadering. De VRT heeft iedereen warm verwelkomd en wat toelichting gegeven over interlevensbeschouwelijke inhoud op radio, televisie en digitale media.
On 20 June, the Chaplain-President attended the celebrations of the official birthday of King Charles of Great Britain at the British Embassy. This annual event is an excellent opportunity for various Belgian personalities with links to Britain to catch up and meet informally. Jack was able to say farewell on behalf of the Anglicans of Belgium to Martin Shearman, British ambassador to Belgium since 2019 - credit is due to him for doing his best to soften the difficulties in Belgian-British relations caused by Brexit - who is leaving Brussels this summer to take up a post in the FCDO in London.
On 20 June, the Chaplain-President was honoured to attend the conference "The contribution of Muslim leaders to combatting hate speech", organised by the Conseil Musulman at the Ministry of Justice buildings. Two panels of distinguished guest-speakers discussed salient issues such as: how to define hate speech, the relation between hate speech and violence, the tension between free speech and hate speech, how religious leaders can contribute towards lessening the evil effects of hate speech. We thank the Ministry of Justice for hosting this event, and our friends Esma Uçan and Michaël Privot at the Conseil Musulman for organising such an interesting and important conference.
On Sunday 16th, the Filipino Community in Antwerp celebrated its one year anniversary. Congratulations!
This community meets one Sunday a month in St. Boniface, Antwerp, for a eucharist service in Tagalog, celebrated by Reverend June Mark Yañez. After the afternoon service, there is always a social moment to share refreshments and fellowship.
Thank you Father June for your ongoing commitment to growing this community and to welcoming Filipinos from across the province of Antwerp! All our good wishes and prayers for their continued flourishing!
Het was een feestelijke sfeer bij PARCUM in Leuven op 13 juni 2024 ten ere van de voormalige voorzitter, EH kanunnik Ludo Collin die zijn rol na veel jaren heeft neergelegd. Meer dan twintig jaar geleden is voorzitter Collin begonnen met het oprichten van CRKC vzw om een organisatie te hebben die zorgt voor religieuze kunst, cultuur, erfgoed en patrimonium. Ondertussen is CRKC vzw PARCUM geworden. Naast het expertise centrum in Vlaanderen voor roerend, onroerend en immaterieel erfgoed, heeft PARCUM ook een depot van materiaal voor geloofsgemeenschappen en een museum in het Abdij van Park die schittert met tentoonstellingen vanuit de diverse collectie. De kapelaan-voorzitter en secretaris-generaal hebben de receptie bij gewoond en feliciteren kanunnik Collin voor al zijn jaren in deze sector. Zij wensen hem veel zegeningen en wel verdiende rust in de toekomst.
On 13 June, the Chaplain-President, acting in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, occupied the role of Vice-Moderator of the General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches, an annual meeting held both in person and online.
Le 12 juin, le chapelain-président, membre-fondateur d'Emouna Belgique, a eu le plaisir d'assister à la cérémonie de remise des diplômes aux émouniens de la promotion 2023-2024, dont trois anglicans : Philip de Holy Trinity Bruxelles et Marie-Rose et Balthazar de Saint-Esprit Mons. Deux anciens émouniens anglicans, Eric Sibomana et Grace West, sont également présents pour soutenir la nouvelle génération. Toute la journée s'est déroulée dans une atmosphère de joie et de célébration, équilibrée par la détermination de maintenir le dialogue interreligieux dans un monde déchiré par des conflits à Gaza, en Ukraine, au Congo et ailleurs.
On 6 June, the Chaplain-President met with the other chefs de culte at the headquarters of the Catholic Church in the Brussels Region, as the guest of Mgr Tony Frison, Episcopal Vicar for the Brussels Region. A full agenda discussed various practical aspects of the new Brussels Region law for religious buildings and communities, together with a selection of new ideas for how the recognised religions could further help the inhabitants of Brussels, especially those in most need. We were all delighted to receive a parting gift of chocolates from Mgr Tony!
On 5-6 June 2024, the Secretary-General attended the Area Deans Forum for the Diocese in Europe in Brussels. The meeting was led by Bishop Robert Innes, including times of prayer, sharing of results from a survey on clergy wellbeing and a training on effective team communication by Paul Vrolijk from Christilience.
On 5 June, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, attended and participated in a round table organised by Comece at the Chapelle de l'Europe with the title "Governmental responsibility and personal ethos". This apparently heavy title did not prevent a lively and fascinating debate, with the main speakers being Herman Van Rompuy (former president of the European Council) and Prince Lorenz (King Philippe's brother-in-law). Count Van Rompuy spoke about the constitutional crisis in Belgium in 1990 concerning King Baudouin's opposition to the parliamentary decision to legalise abortion. Prince Lorenz spoke about his grandfather's (Charles I of Austria, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2004) personal ethical and faith journey in the wake of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. There was loud applause at the end for an evening full of insight.
On 5 June, the Chaplain-President, acting in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, participated in a meeting at the European Commission with Baron Frans van Daele, the EU's special envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief, on his forthcoming visit to Nigeria. A full and interesting exchange of views occurred about the current situation in Nigeria with respect to tensions between common law and Sharia law, the persecution of Christians and terrorist violence, and concerning possible ways in which the EU could be of real and non-interfering assistance to Nigeria.
Please find below a statement by the heads of the recognised religions and of Buddhism in Belgium concerning the importance of the European, Federal and Regional elections to be held in Belgium this Sunday.
Voici une déclaration des chefs des cultes reconnus et du bouddhisme en Belgique concernant l'importance des élections européenne, fédérale et régionale qui se tiennent ce dimanche.
Hieronder volgt een verklaring van de hoofden van de erkende erediensten en het boeddhisme in België over het belang van de Europese, federale en regionale verkiezingen die deze zondag plaatsvinden.
The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe is organising a second edition of last year's very successful summer school in the University of Utrecht: "Anglicanism in European Perspective." This will occur from 21 to 26 July and further details are here: Anglicanism in European Perspective | Utrecht Summer School. The Chaplain-President will be delighted to lecture again this year, accompanied by several old friends in university Anglican studies circles. The summer school provides an excellent introduction to the Anglican tradition for the interested outsider or newcomer, and its sponsorship by a non-British Anglican province underlines Anglicanism's worldwide scope.
On 30 May, the Central Committee and Holy Trinity Brussels were delighted to host this year's annual Belgian Ministry of Defence interconvictional ceremony for veterans. This year, the Belgian Ministry of Defence invited their British counterparts to celebrate the Invictus Games at which both countries participate Invictus Games. The four chaplaincies of the Belgian Service d'Assistance Religieuse et Morale (Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Secularist) together with the four new chaplaincies in the process of being recognised (Anglican, Orthodox, Muslim and Buddhist) played a full role in the ceremony. The Chaplain-President gave the welcome. General Régis Bornain, Director-General of Health and Well-being in the Belgian armed forces, introduced the ceremony. Air Vice Marshal Giles Legood, Archdeacon for the Royal Air Force (and long ago a university chaplaincy colleague of the Chaplain-President) spoke on behalf of the British armed forces. Eric Sibomana, Project Manager for the future Anglican Military Chaplaincy, preached. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Founder of Invictus, gave an excellent speech by videolink. There was beautiful music. The main part of the ceremony was given to the Belgian and British veterans themselves, who spoke movingly of their experiences of injury and of how Invictus had been an important part of their ongoing recovery. Two veterans with disabilities showed their skills on rowing machines, to thunderous applause. The ceremony was followed by a delicious high tea provided by the HTB Community Kitchen, who prepared the tea on top of their normal quota of 1,000 meals per day for the refugees of Brussels.
The Chaplain-President and Secretary-General were delighted to end the day by accepting an invitation to dinner from the British and Belgian delegations.
Our special thanks and admiration go to the veterans who spoke or performed: Vincent Vanpuyenbroek, Jean-Bernard Mathieu, Jean-Christophe Génicot, Stef Wolput, Stacey Denyer, Peter Saunders and Thierry Dutrieux, and thanks too to Stacey and Peter for their kind present to the Central Committee of an Invictus UK team medal, which we will treasure. God bless you all.
Op donderdag 23 mei 2024, heeft de secretaris-generaal de Staten-Generaal over religieus erfgoed 2024 in het Vlaamse parlement bijgewoond. Lieve Van Hoofstadt, Directeur van PARCUM heeft alle aanwezigen verwelkomt. Dan gaf ze het woord aan monseigneur Koen Vanhoutte. Ellen Descamps heeft een interview geleid met Paul Lambrechts van Herita en Kristof Lataire van Toerisme Vlaanderen over het belang van een duurzaam en dynamisch dialoog met erfgoed in de maatschappij. Daarna liepen vier sprekers heel snel door verschillende voorstellingen waar later iedereen de kans heeft gehad om over na te denken bij gesprekstafels. De voorstellingen waren: 1) Openbaar domein, 2) Cultuurgoederen, 3) Opslagproblematiek, 4) Immaterieel erfgoed. De slotbeschouwing werd gedaan door Minister van Onroerend Erfgoed Matthias Diependaele. Dan vond er ook receptie plaats.
On May 23, the Chaplain-President, the Secretary General and the Second Secretary attended a training morning offered by the Ministry of Justice on the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) register and how these impact the running and bookkeeping of registered charities - VZW in Dutch and ASBL in French - in Belgium. It was a good opportunity to refresh our knowledge of the rules and regulations on this topic.
