Belgian bishops try to clear remaining debt for Pope Francis’s 2024 visit

The Belgian Bishops’ Conference has announced a new collection among the country's faithful to raise 800,000 euros ($940,000) to cover the remaining debts owed for the visit made by Pope Francis last year.

This 26 September will mark one year since Pope Francis’s apostolic visit to Belgium to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Catholic universities of Leuven and Leuven-la-Neuve, a trip that involved a significant financial and logistical effort, reports the Catholic News Agency (CNA).

It reports that the late Pope’s visit, which lasted two and a half days, cost more than 3 million euros ($3.5 million).

Providing security for the Pope's movements and preparing the locations visited – including large arenas for heavily attended Masses – meant a considerable investment, Patrick du Bois, who was responsible for logistics during the papal visit, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

“The organisational efforts are enormous, on the one hand because large crowds gather around the Holy Father, and on the other because his security requires very strict measures,” said Mr du Bois, who was tasked to lead the organisation and logistics of the papal visit by Archbishop Luc Terlinden, president of the Belgian Bishops’ Conference.

Du Bois clarified that the Belgian State takes responsibility for security on public roads, “while everything that happens inside a venue – stadium or basilica – is the responsibility of the local Church".

As a result, the bishops’ conference had to cover all expenses, “including lodging, meals and even laundry services for all members of the Vatican accompanying the Holy Father” – a total of 65 Vatican personnel traveled for the visit to Belgium, with some staying for 15 days, CNA notes.

Du Bois added: "The Vatican requires that all public acts of the Holy Father be filmed and that the images be made available at no charge to all media outlets worldwide. If local television refuses to produce these images, the bishops’ conference must hire private companies and assume the cost."

He also noted that “all travel expenses, including those of numerous journalists, are also the responsibility of the bishops’ conference”.

In their collection announcement, the Belgian bishops recalled that 40,000 people participated in the Mass celebrated at King Baudouin Stadium and that more than 5,000 young people attended the “Hope Happening” festival at which Pope Francis appeared.

The bishops explained that the pastoral component of the Pope's visit was funded primarily through donations from the laity, which raised nearly 2 million euros ($2.35million). This sum was used for, among other things, renting the King Baudouin Stadium and providing security for those who attended and who did so free of charge.

In seeking the support of the country's faithful to raise the remaining 800,000 euros needed, the Belgian Bishops’ Conference announced that funds raised during Masses on 20-21 September will be used to cover the outstanding debt.

Photo: Pope Francis is welcomed by King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium upon his arrival at the Castle of Laeken, near Brussels, at the start of a visit to Belgium, 27 September 2024. (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images.)