Pray for: Belgium

Belgium is a deeply divided nation. For 2,000 years its land has stretched across the cultural divide between the Latin/Romance world and the Germanic world. The Walloon (south) and Flemish (north) peoples speak different languages, and this affects the economy, politics, religious life, and worldviews of both communities. New immigrant communities increase the complexity. Some fear the country could break apart. Pray that national leaders have wisdom to address this complicated challenge. Pray that the Church might demonstrate unity, and be used to bring about true reconciliation and peace.

The secular worldview seems to have triumphed in Belgium. Atheists and non-religious now number 31% of society. While almost half of the population consider themselves Catholic, only 7% attend mass. Mainline Protestant Churches also lose members. For many centuries up until 1960 the Catholic Church discouraged use of the Bible. But in 2006, after the release of a new Bible translation, French and Flemish Bible Societies worked together to share the history and stories of the Bible around the nation. Pray that the Word of God might take root deeply in Belgian society. Behaviours and lifestyles long associated with godlessness have become normalized in much of Belgian life.