Consecration of Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy as Bishop of Willesden, London

On 26th January, Lusa Ngoy was consecrated Bishop of Willesden by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, in St Paul's Cathedral, London (Bishop of Willesden consecrated at St Paul’s Cathedral - Diocese of London (anglican.org)) Bishop Lusa is a Belgian citizen and a former student at the French-speaking Protestant Faculty in Brussels (FUTP | Faculté Universitaire de Théologie Protestante) where the Chaplain-President is a professor. Indeed, Bishop Lusa's brother Nathan is one of the Chaplain-President's current students there. Bishop Lusa is only the second Belgian to become a bishop in the Church of England - the first being our own Bishop Robert. The Central Committee looks forward to inviting Bishop Lusa to meet us after the pandemic has receded. (In our picture, Bishop Lusa is on the far left and on the far right is Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London. The picture illustrates the two types of Anglican episcopal vestments: "choir dress" and "cope and mitre".)

Holy Trinity Brussels 14:00 service

On 30th January, it was the Chaplain-President's great pleasure to preach at the 14:00 service at Holy Trinity Brussels (Weekly Services — Holy Trinity Brussels ) for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. This service has for many years reflected the large African, and especially Rwandan, community who gather at Holy Trinity. The celebrant at the service was one of our prison chaplains, the Revd Charles Kabera.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2022

On 20th January, the Chaplain-President and M. Eric Sibomana represented the Central Committee at the annual ecumenical service organised by the Brussels Interchurch Committee (Bienvenue au CIB ! | Comité Interecclésial de Bruxelles – Interkerkelijk Comité voor Brussel – Brussels Interchurch Comittee (wordpress.com) ), held this year in Holy Trinity Brussels and presided by Canon John Wilkinson. A review of the service may be found here: Célébration pour la semaine de prière de l'unité des Chrétiens hier à Ixelles - (catho-bruxelles.be)

On 23rd, the Vice-President and the Secretary participated in a similar service in Gent, organised by the Interkerkelijk Beraad (IKB).

Meeting with SPF Justice / FOD Justitie on Persopoint

On 17th January 2022 the recognised lifes stances and the Ministry of Justice met up online to discuss the further development of the Persopoint system. Persopoint collects the data of all civil servants in the federal departments, including the ministers of religion, and pays the stipends. A very interesting development in the future will be the possibility to apply for the Single Permits (for all non-EU citizens) via this online platform.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021)

The Chaplain-President writes: "Whilst I was saddened to hear of the death of Desmond Tutu on 26th December 2021, my overwhelming feeling was of massive gratitude for his life of prophetic and courageous witness and service. I was a newly-arrived BA student in Cambridge University when Tutu was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1984/press-release/ ) and I recall the general buzz around the university that a black South African bishop had received the prize. Tutu's subsequent ministries as Archbishop of Cape Town and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission have indelibly marked the Anglican Communion and the wider world: he must surely be the most famous Anglican of the last century. Our picture shows a powerpoint slide used in my lectures on Global Anglicanism last semester: what a privilege for me to share with the next generation Tutu's faithful and robust discipleship of Jesus Christ and his unflinching embrace of human dignity and equality! For all the saints who from their labours rest - alleluia!"

Parcum meeting about human remains

On 15th December, the Chaplain-President and the Secretary had a Zoom meeting with Julie Aerts and Jonas Danckers from Parcum and Prof Maarten Larmuseau from KU Leuven to give an Anglican input into the Memor project, which aims to aid archaeological excavations in Flanders involving human remains with accurate advice from the Recognised Religions and Life Philosophies about the responsible and dignified handling of such remains.

World Council of Churches: "Common Formation and the Future of Interfaith Dialogue"

On 7th December, the Chaplain-President spoke by Zoom at an interfaith conference organised by the World Council of Churches in Geneva on the role of shared training and formation in the future of interfaith dialogue. He used Emouna Belgique / Emoena België as a practical working example of how Christian clergy, Jewish rabbis, Muslim imams, Buddhist officiants and Secularist officiants can learn practical skills together for the effective exercise of their ministries, without compromising in any way their own faith position.

100th Anniversary of the Malines Conversations #2

On 6th December, a series of centenary celebrations took place in York Minster (https://yorkminster.org/). Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams gave an address, to which Mgr Jean Kockerols, Auxiliary Bishop in Mechelen-Brussel, replied. Live video-greetings took place between York Minster and the Sint-Romboutskathedraal in Mechelen, after which a live-streamed Choral Evensong was sung in the Minster, at which The Most Revd and Rt Hon. Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, preached the sermon. A programme of the celebration may be read here. We look forward to the end of Covid restrictions, which will enable even fuller celebrations of the Malines Conversations, which have influenced so many subsequent Christian ecumenical endeavours, to occur.

100th Anniversary of the Malines Conversations #1

On 4th December, the Commission nationale catholique pour l'oecuménisme / Katholieke Nationale Commissie voor Oecumene (https://oikoumene.be/) organised its annual day-conference online because of the emergency pandemic measures, on the theme of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Malines Conversations of 1921-1925. Further substantial commemorations of these remarkable ecumenical conversations will take place when the pandemic recedes (https://www.malinesconversations.org/). The highlight of the day-conference was a fascinating paper by Lord Williams (https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/fellows/rowan-williams-oystermouth-FBA/) on the history and results of the Malines Conversations. Further papers followed from Metropolitan Athenagoras Peckstadt (Orthodox Church), Pastor Priscille Djomhoué (United Protestant Church) and Canon Adelbert Denaux (Roman Catholic Church).

New Flemish law concerning faith communities

On 16th November, a new law of the Flemish Region to replace the 2004 law came into effect concerning faith communities, including Anglican parishes. The Central Committee, via the Vlaamse Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog on which we sit, has had sustained and positive input into this legislative process. The decree may be read here. A summary from the Central Committee which explains the new law for Anglican parishes in Flanders may be read here. The new law requires our parishes not to accept foreign influence or finance which might undermine our independence, to uphold the Belgian Constitution and to oppose terrorism, and to ensure that our clergy integrate properly into Flemish society. The Central Committee affirms the productive relationship which our parishes have always enjoyed with Flemish society and heartily wishes to deepen these links, as our parishes continue to serve the communities in which they are placed.

Students learn about Anglicanism

On 26th November, a group of students at the Protestant faculties in Brussels (FUTP-FPTR), coming from Belgium, the Netherlands, Cameroun, Kenya and Burkina Faso, visited Holy Trinity Brussels to learn more about the Anglican tradition. They were hosted by the Chaplain-President, who gave a tour of the church building before leading a question-and-answer session in Church House.