CCEE: Solidarity with Mgr. Léonard, an end to religious intolerance
(Vatican Radio) In a letter sent to the Archbishop of Malines-Brussels, Mgr André-Joseph
Léonard, victim of an act of religious intolerance on Tuesday 23 April during a conference
at the Free University of Brussels, the CCEE Presidency has expressed to the Archbishop
its “sincere closeness and solidarity” and condemned these aggressive forms of religious
intolerance. At the same time, the Presidency re-affirmed that it shared the position
of the Belgian Bishops’ Conference, according to which “a democratic debate on the
issues of society is only possible if everyone is allowed to express their ideas in
mutual respect and freedom of expression”.The Belgian bishops have denounced the incident
during which the Archbishop of Malines -Brussels was surprised on stage, where he
was making an intervention, by topless activists of the FEMEN group who threw bottles
in the shape of the Virgin Mary filled with water at him. Archbishop Leonard’s only
reaction was to remain in prayer until calm returned to the hall.
Archbishop
Leonard and Guy Haarscher, honorary professor at the university, were giving a lecture
on the theme "Blasphemy: offense or freedom of expression". "The attitude of some
people last night completely lack the credibility and respect of citizenship and is
in total contradiction with the theme of the debate, and how the Catholic Church wants
to engage in such a debate in a pluralistic context" the bishops note in a statement
released April 24.
They prelates recall a "democratic debate on social issues
is possible only if we allow everyone to present his or her ideas in mutual respect
and freedom of expression”.