The Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium) is preparing to welcome Pope Francis—and not just once, but twice. The pope will visit the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) in Flanders September 27, followed by a meeting with students September 28 at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain) in Louvain-la-Neuve, in the Walloon Region.
The university was divided in 1968 – between the Dutch-speaking branch, which remained in the historic city of Leuven (Flanders), and the French-speaking branch, UCLouvain, established in Louvain-la-Neuve, a newly constructed city about 30 kilometers south of Brussels (while the medical faculty took up residence in the capital).
“It was the era of the May 1968 protests in France, a time when Americans were opposing the Vietnam War. In Belgium, Flanders, with several industrial hubs like Ghent and Antwerp, called for cultural autonomy. At the same time, Wallonia, suffering from the decline of industries like glass and coal, sought more economic autonomy,” recounted historian Françoise Hiraux, who has intimate knowledge of the university’s history.
A prestigious and historic university
For the pope’s visit, centered around the concept of “transition,” the two universities have worked together, symbolizing a peaceful relationship between them. It is no coincidence that Francis intends to highlight this university, which, founded in the 15th century, is one of the oldest in Europe and even the world.
The idea of change and evolution is indeed ingrained in the DNA of an institution that has had to reinvent itself multiple times. In October 1426, the university welcomed its first students, spread across various faculties (arts, civil law, canon law, medicine), making it a “complete university,” according to Hiraux.
“Other universities, like Bologna, the Sorbonne, Orléans, or Montpellier, were not as comprehensive because they only had one or two faculties,” she added. The theology faculty was added a few years later – the necessary “green light” from Rome had taken some time.
At the end of the 18th century, after establishing itself as a center of humanist thought, the university had to close its doors following the annexation of the territories of present-day Belgium to France in 1794. It reopened in 1816, and in 1834, it became a “free” university, officially named the Catholic University of Louvain.
Today, Olivier Riaudel, dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at UCLouvain since September, lists the department’s strengths: the “quality of teaching,” the “strong links” with the research world, education “in interaction with the social sciences,” and an “international reputation.”
Theology faculties at both KUL and UCLouvain, though small, are recognized for their excellence. One is heavily oriented toward the Anglo-Saxon world, while the other looks more toward the South, Latin America, and Africa.
Openness and influence
This openness and influence are nothing new. In fact, the university has contributed to Catholic theology as a whole: in the 1960s, “prominent scholars from the university helped prepare the council leading to Vatican II,” Riaudel noted. Liberation theology, born in Latin America, is also connected to the Belgian university. Even today, the tenets of this theology, which the dean said emphasized “social responsibility,” continue to guide the university’s “Catholic” mission, which, “without making explicit references to Christianity,” upholds values like “inclusion and kindness.”
The question of these universities’ identity and Catholic character remains a topic of reflection today, as the link with the ecclesial institution becomes more diffuse, and the Catholic dimension is seen primarily as a guarantee of openness and universality.
“Both institutions recognize their roots, but it’s clear that the universities have not avoided the phenomenon of secularization,” explained Father Tommy Scholtes, French-speaking spokesperson for the Belgian Bishops’ Conference.
“Our university is diverse, varied in the opinions of everyone, and that’s how it has become highly international and particularly attractive,” Hiraux said, adding that theology has long engaged in dialogue with various other disciplines.
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Publish date : 2024-09-27 03:24:00
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The post Pope in Belgium: The Catholic University of Louvain shows its openness and dialogue with society first appeared on Love Europe.
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Publish date : 2024-09-27 12:59:26
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