Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium). From 26 to 29 September 2024, Pope Francis made his 46th Apostolic Journey to Luxembourg and Belgium (program).
After his visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, he came to Belgium on 27 September and met university professors in the “Promotiezaal” of the “Katholieke Universiteit Leuven” and on 28 October, in the Aula Magna of the “Université Catholique de Louvain” he met young university students.
In Louvain-la-Neuve, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of the St. John Bosco Community of Notre-Dame des Nations Province (FRB) share life with students who live with them at the “kot”.
“We are three FMA with 20 girls and boys who live in the house and share the kitchen, refectory, and living room. The accompaniment is done in everyday life. We had the joy of welcoming the Pope in our city of Louvain-la-Neuve and on the weekend of the Hope Happening”, recounts the Animator, Sister Isabelle Batantou Mpassi.
The Holy Father’s desire to reach out to academic institutions and young people who through cultural formation build their future was significant in the program of his visit.
“This is the first task of the University: to offer an integral formation so that people receive the necessary tools to interpret the present and to plan the future – he said in his discourse at the University of Leuven. Cultural formation, in fact, is never an end in itself and the universities must not run the risk of becoming ‘cathedrals in the desert’. They are, by their very nature, places that propel ideas and new stimuli for human life and thought and for the challenges of society, that is to say, generative spaces.
It is beautiful to think that the University generates culture, generates ideas, but above all, promotes the passion for the search of truth, in the service of human progress. (…) It is not a question of multiplying notions and theories, but of making academic and cultural formation a living space which embraces life and speaks to life.”
Marie Eliane, one of the students living with FMA expresses the emotions of these moments: “I followed the various meetings he had in the Country: the visit to the universities of Louvain and Louvain-la-Neuve on the occasion of their 600th anniversary; the surprise visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor and the breakfast with the poor at Saint Gilles… I had the immense joy of seeing him along with several thousand other young people at Saturday’s Hope Happening! During his trip, the Holy Father had the courage to address some very sensitive issues: abuse, abortion… Fundamentally, I see it as a call to seek the truth (Christ) and to dare to proclaim it in all its dimensions, not only those that are in tune with the world, but with a great love for men and women, because God wants to save everyone. The Holy Father was physically tried, but he brought great joy and hope to our entire Country. May his journey bear fruit of faith, hope, and charity in our society!”
Various themes were then addressed with the students of the University of Louvain – including women and the culture of waste – to conclude with the theme of truth: “Without truth, our life loses meaning. Study makes sense when it seeks the truth, when it tries to find it, but with a critical spirit. But the truth, to find it, needs this attitude of criticality, so we can move forward. Study makes sense when it seeks the truth, don’t forget this.”
Emmanuel was among the young people who listened to and appreciated the Pope’s words: “The Pope’s visit to Louvain-la-Neuve gave me great joy. With a group of students from the kot and the parish, we came to welcome him on his way to Louvain-la-Neuve, outside the Aula Magna, and we followed his speech on a giant screen. I felt very proud to be a young Catholic. The Mass on Sunday was also very beautiful, with the Pope who gathered many people in a solemn Eucharist. I think it was a strong moment for the Belgian Church, lived in unity.”
On 28 Saturday afternoon, in one of his “off-program”, Pope Francis reached the surprised youth gathered for the event “Hope Happening” at the Brussels Expo, palazzetto near King Baldwin Stadium, to wait for the celebration of the Pontiff singing, dancing, praying, and camping outdoors for the night. “I’ll ask you a question; do you know what young people do? Young people make noise! I’ll give you a tip: go ahead. Make noise, keep always have the memory of the Lord and memory with prayer,” he said to them. For the young people of the Salesian communities, it was a joy to see the Pope greeting two figures representing St. John Bosco and St. Mary Mazzarello, who went on stage to take a selfie with him.
The story of Merveille, who was present: “On Saturday I lived an extraordinary moment, a unique experience in life: meeting the Pope. It is difficult to express in words the emotion I felt at that moment. To be in the presence of such an important personality for many throughout the world and for the Church; to feel his benevolence and humility, touched me deeply. This kind of event only happens once in a lifetime, and I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity. This meeting will remain in my memory, not only because of the importance of the Pope, but also for the joy and inner peace that he brought.”
Finally, the testimony of Ann Charlotte: “I had the opportunity to participate in the festival, Hope Happening in Brussels, organized on the occasion of the visit of Pope Francis in Belgium. It was a wonderful experience, full of emotions and prayer. We were lucky enough to participate in several workshops and concerts. The Pope gave us a big surprise on Saturday evening. We were happy to see him up close and in the main hall. He is a truly great man, with a big smile on his face, who speaks from the heart and touches the hearts of young people. What a wonderful moment it was to attend the Mass on Sunday with Pope Francis at the King Baldwin stadium, with forty thousand people united around Christ, a real blessing. These are moments that will remain forever in our memory and mark the hearts of young Belgian Catholics.”
It is lovely to hear the responses and reactions of those who experienced the joy of the Pope’s visit and words.
However, it is good to remember the courage and commitment of the students of the Catholic University of Louvain who made an impassioned plea to Pope Francis for the church to change its view of women.
“Women have been made invisible. Invisible in their lives, women have also been invisible in their intellectual contributions,” the students said.
“What, then, is the place of women in the church?” they asked. “We need a paradigm shift, which can and must draw on the treasures of spirituality as much as on the development of the various disciplines of science.”
Mi corazon colombiano palpita desde aqui por esos ENCUENTROS DEL PAPA FRANCISCO con los jovenes