ROME — The Vatican released on Friday the program for Pope Francis’ trip to Belgium and Luxembourg in late September, where he will celebrate Mass for the faithful, as well as meeting with religious and political authorities.
During the four-day visit, on Sept. 26-29, he will also hold private talks with his brethren in the Jesuit order.
According to recent figures, about half of Belgium’s population of around 12 million identifies as Catholic. Similarly, in Luxembourg, Catholics represent about 50% of the population of 650,000.
The pope’s visit is timed to coincide with celebrations of the 600th anniversary of Belgium’s two main Catholic universities.
Francis will meet with professors from the Dutch-language Katholieke Universiteit Leuven on Sept. 27, before greeting students of the French-language Université Catholique de Louvain the following day.
His stop in Luxembourg is seen as a nod to Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the Jesuit archbishop of Luxembourg who is playing a major role in Francis’ big synod, a years-long reform project for the Catholic Church.
The visit to Luxembourg and Belgium is scheduled to begin less than two weeks after Francis returns from the longest and most challenging foreign trip of his pontificate, a Sept. 2-13 voyage to Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Singapore.
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