The Romanian journalists who visited Belgium for three days last week were welcomed on Thursday, March 7, at the headquarters of the most important religious newspaper in the Flemish Region of Belgium, Kerk en Leven (Church & Life).
The group of religion journalists was received by the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Luk Vanmaercke, who presented the history and activities of Kerk en Leven, but also noted the challenges they face.
Kerk & Leven is owned by the Roman-Catholic Church and has a circulation of approximately 200,000 copies.
In addition to the problems faced by printed publications in general, the weekly newspaper in Flanders is also affected by the low interest in religion of the Belgian people.
Members of the Basilica News Agency, @GhAnghel, @SorinIonite, @AurelianNicolae, and dn Dan Vascu, broadcast technical director at Renașterea Radio, visiting the @kerkenleven printing facilities in Antwerp. pic.twitter.com/8mGLM3SnVt
— Basilica.ro (EN) (@BasilicaNews) March 7, 2019
However, one of Kerk & Leven’s main goals is to attract young audience.
Editor-in-chief Vanmaercke was offered an insight into the activity of the Basilica Media Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate, especially of the Lumina Newspaper.
The representatives of the religious media in Romania had the opportunity to visit the Flemish newspaper’s printing facilities, where they were able to see the next edition of Kerk en Leven during printing process.
Religion in Belgium
The same day, the journalists had a meeting with representatives of the Roman-Catholic Diocese in Atwerp at the city’s Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady.
Dean Pieter Wieerts and Ian Kint spoke about the Belgian society’s lack of interest in spirituality.
They said that many Catholic parishes are being dissolved and that church buildings are used for other purposes or even risk being demolished.
The representatives of the Diocese of Antwerp also expressed their hope that unused churches will be turned into museums or will be used by other Christian confessions.
Romanians in Antwerp
Given the context in the Belgian society, the many thousands of Orthodox Romanians living in Antwerp have the opportunity to gather in a liturgical space for worship at the Nativity of the Mother of God Parish.
The journalists visited the church where the Romanian parish holds its divine ministry and learned from Fr. George Valcu that there are real chances that the church building will soon be purchased by the Romanian community from the Roman-Catholic Diocese of Antwerp.
This visit was made possible with the help of the Representation of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions and with the support of MEP Traian Ungureanu.
Photography courtesy of Lumina Newspaper / Augustin Păunoiu
