Military Ordinariate of Belgium

Military Ordinariate of Belgium Dutch: Bisdom bij de Krijgsmacht French: Diocèse aux Forces armées belges
Cathédrale Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg
Location
Country	Belgium
Statistics
Parishes	1
Churches	1
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	7 September 1957 (64 years ago)
Cathedral	Cathédrale Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg
Secular priests	11
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Archbishop	Josef De Kesel
Website
Diocèse aux forces armées

The Military Ordinariate of Belgium (Dutch: Bisdom bij de Krijgsmacht; French: Diocèse aux Forces armées belges) is a military ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church. Immediately subject to the Holy See, it provides pastoral care to Roman Catholics serving in the Belgian Armed Forces and their families.

History[]

It was established as a military vicariate on 7 September 1957, and elevated to a military ordinariate on 21 July 1986. The Military Ordinary's seat is located at the Co-cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg (Sint-Jacob op de Koudenbergkerk) in Brussels, Belgium. The post of Military Ordinary is vested in the Archbishop of Mechelen and Primate of Belgium.^{[citation needed]}

Office holders[]

Military vicars[]

• Jozef-Ernest van Roey (appointed 1957 – died 6 August 1961)
• Leo Jozef Suenens (appointed 24 November 1961 – retired 1979)
• Godfried Danneels (appointed 15 September 1980 – became military ordinary 21 July 1986)

Military ordinaries[]

• Godfried Danneels (appointed 21 July 1986 – retired 27 February 2010)
• André-Joseph Léonard ( appointed 27 February 2010 – retired 6 November 2015)
• Josef De Kesel (incumbent, appointed 6 November 2015 – )

References[]

• Army Chaplaincy
• Military Ordinariate of Belgium (Catholic-Hierarchy)
• Bisdom bij de Krijgsmacht / Diocèse aux Forces armées belges (Belgium) (GCatholic.org)

Coordinates: 50°54′27″N 4°23′35″E / 50.907471°N 4.39301°E / 50.907471; 4.39301