Monday, July 08, 2024

Pope Francis performs beatification at mass in Belgium


Pope Francis will conclude his visit to Belgium on 29 September with a large mass in Brussels' King Baudouin Stadium. 

This was announced by the Belgian Bishops' Conference on Friday. Interested parties can register on the website www.visitedupape.be from 19 August. 

The possibility of group registrations is still being examined. 

The mass will also be broadcast. The bishops strongly recommend travelling by public transport.

"At the beginning of the Eucharist, Pope Francis will beatify the Carmelite nun St Anne of Jesus, who died in Brussels," it said. "An extraordinary event, as beatifications are generally carried out by Pope Francis as part of celebrations in Rome." 

St Anne of Jesus (1545-1621), originally from Spain, was a close associate of St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) and helped her reform the Carmelite order. She was sent to Madrid, Paris and Brussels, among other places. From Brussels, where she died in 1621, she founded the monasteries of Leuven and Mons and was involved in the founding of the monasteries of Antwerp and Krakow.

The multilingual mass celebration with Pope Francis also coincides with the annual World Day of Migrants and Refugees in the Catholic Church, as emphasised by the Bishops' Conference. 

Pope Francis will begin his trip on 26 September in Luxembourg and continue to Belgium on the same day. 

The Vatican has given the visit the motto "Travelling with hope".