Krzysztof Bronk – Vatican
Opening, but with respect for the sacred
Last Thursday, the President of the Belgian Bishops’ Conference met with the federal minister for climate and environment on this matter. Archbishop Luc Terlinden confirmed the readiness to open as many churches as possible to provide shelter to all who suffer from the heatwave. The Metropolitan of Brussels, however, stipulated that this must be done with respect for the sacred character of these places.
In Belgium, churches do not belong to the state, but both parish councils and local governments are responsible for their maintenance. Therefore, as Archbishop Terlinden pointed out, making churches available must be done with respect for local realities.
Cooperation between the state and the Church
Minister Jean-Luc Crucke announced that talks with the Church would continue, respecting the competencies and duties of each party, as well as the principle of mutual autonomy between Church and state. This is linked to the ministry’s preparation of a plan for adaptation to extreme weather phenomena. In the longer term, it was also decided to address the issue of adapting church buildings to energy transformation and climate resilience.
Tragic toll of heatwaves
This year’s heatwave in Europe has caused many deaths. In the last week of June alone, 10,650 excess deaths were recorded in 27 European Union member states – according to a report published by EuroMomo – a European mortality monitoring system supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) andthe World Health Organization (WHO).
Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, described this year’s heatwave as a “true public health emergency”.
