Church in exile? ” “

“Here the very concept of parish, which still retains its value in Italy, risks becoming meaningless. The possibility that this situation may also affect our own country in the near future should not be ignored”. That’s the stark but courageous analysis of the situation of the Church in Brussels made by Italian Father Angelo Lanfranchi , who comes from Brescia and is prior of the Carmelite community placed at the heart of the Belgian capital, just a few steps from the Place Louise, the city-centre district dominated by office blocks and elegant shops. The convent is territorially linked to the parish of St. Boniface. The community consists of seven friars, five of them Italians, who are under the jurisdiction of the order’s Veneto Province; four of them are priests, to whom are added two students of theology (one from the Trentino and the other from Lebanon), while the seventh father is of Belgian origin, now in his 94th year and much “cosseted” by his fellow-Carmelites. We interviewed Father Lanfranchi. The Italian bishops have just discussed the future of the parish at their last plenary assembly. What’s the situation of parishes in Belgium today? “I should premise that I can mainly speak of the situation in the capital, which is sui generis, given its size and demographic features: it’s enough to think that the population of Brussels consists in large part of immigrants and bureaucrats who work in the EU institutions. They are people, therefore, ‘grafted’ into an environment different from their own and with a very high mobility. The criterion of territoriality in effect no longer has much value here. The believers who regularly attend Sunday mass are only 2-3 percent of the population and, moreover, many of them casually choose the church in which to celebrate. An elective criterion is in operation; it corresponds to a precise choice of what church to attend, perhaps linked to its priest or its belonging to a movement. What cannot be denied, however, is that the parish in the way we understand it in Italy, where people are baptised, where the catechism is taught, where charitable and other activities are performed, has virtually disappeared”. What are the causes of this phenomenon? “It has to be recognized, in the first place, that the process of secularisation, which has long been strong in Italy too, has progressed very rapidly in Belgium. Secular thought and freemasonry are deeply rooted and often it’s a challenge to be a believer here at all: in this regard Archbishop Danneels has spoken of ‘Church in exile’. Similar observations were made by the Pope on the occasion of the recent visit ad limina of the Belgian episcopate. To this is added a relative stagnation of the faith: priests are few on the ground; sometimes a short circuit is created between the various ministries, and in some cases it is difficult to distinguish between priests and laity at the altar”. Are there any positive aspects and signs of hope? “Yes of course. Vocations to the priesthood are not numerous, but in my view they are highly motivated. Some city parishes are characterised by a certain vitality linked to the presence of ecclesial movements or religious orders. The role of the interdiocesan philosophical seminary, re-launched not long ago, is also constructive. Many experiences of charity and volunteer service of Christian inspiration also exist in Brussels. I would say simply that when the crux of the Christian message is broached, when figures emerge who give witness to the Gospel in daily life, in the family, in professional life, the sign remains. We ourselves here, in this quarter of the city, acknowledge the presence of people who undergo a spiritual process and who attend church on a regular basis, even if their number is small. Besides, the parish dimension is not casual; it is the result of a particular ecclesiology, a certain way of enacting and making present the priestly ministry, of participating in the celebrations: at this level there’s much to be done. I believe I can say that greater attention needs to be paid to a situation like that of Brussels, apparently very different from that of Italy. Perhaps here we are only a few years ‘ahead’…”. You’ve mentioned the presence of numerous foreigners. Can they be a resource for the Christian community and for the parishes of Brussels? “The potential of these immigrant communities is huge. I especially have in mind those that have moved into the city in recent times: Poles, Philippinos, even Orthodox Russians. Then there are many Muslims. These groups of immigrants are numerous, often youthful, and with a strong attachment to their faith that reinforces and consolidates their sense of identity far from home. More generally I would say that the meaning of the expression ‘new evangelization’ is being experienced every day in Brussels: we are called to spell out clearly the Gospel message and create a welcoming environment. Otherwise, from the viewpoint of the faith, this will become a no man’s land”.