Jozef De Kesel(born 17 June 1947) is aBelgian Catholicprelate who served asArchbishop of Mechelen-Brusselsfrom 2015 to 2023. He previously served there as auxiliary bishop from 2002 to 2010. He served asBishop of Brugesfrom 2010 to 2015 and was made acardinalsince 2016.
Jozef De Kesel | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal,Archbishop Emeritus of Mechelen-Brussels | |
 | |
| Church | RomanCatholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Mechelen-Brussels |
| Appointed | 6 November 2015 |
| Installed | 12 December 2015 |
| Term ended | 22 June 2023 |
| Predecessor | André-Joseph Léonard |
| Successor | Luc Terlinden |
| Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo |
| Previous post(s) |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | 26 August 1972 by Leo-Karel De Kesel |
| Consecration | 26 May 2002 byGodfried Danneels |
| Created cardinal | 19 November 2016 byPope Francis |
| Rank | Cardinal Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 June 1947 Ghent,Belgium |
| Alma mater | Catholic University of Leuven Pontifical Gregorian University |
| Motto | Vobiscum Christianus (With you, I am a Christian) |
| Coat of arms |  |
Ordination history of Jozef De Kesel | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Styles of Jozef De Kesel | |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Early life
editDe Kesel was born on 17 June 1947 inGhent,the sixth of eleven children.[1]He entered the seminary in 1965, studied philosophy and theology at the seminary of Saint-Paul in Ghent and received his degree in Philosophy and Letters at theCatholic University of Leuven.From 1968 until 1972 he studied theology in Rome at thePontifical Gregorian University,he gained first his license and then in 1977 hisdoctorate.[2]
He was ordained a priest for theDiocese of Ghenton 26 August 1972[2]by his uncle Leo-Karel De Kesel, an auxiliary bishop of Ghent.[1]While in Ghent he taught religious education at the diocesan secondary school in Eeklo from 1974 to 1980 and led courses in religion, philosophical anthropology and contemporary thought atArtevelde University of Applied Sciences(Sociale Hogeschool Gent) from 1977 to 1980. He was professor of fundamental theology and dogmatic theology at theMajor Seminary of Ghentfrom 1980 to 1996 and at the same time, Professor of Theology at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences in Ghent, where he was also dean. He was professor ofChristologyat the Catholic University of Leuven from 1989 to 1992. He also had responsibility for the formation of pastoral workers in Ghent from 1983 to 2002 and was episcopal vicar for theological and pastoral training in the diocese of Ghent from 1992 to 2002.[2]
Bishop
editPope John Paul IIappointed himtitular bishopof Bulna and auxiliary of Mechelen-Brussel on 20 March 2002.[2]As his episcopal motto he chose the words of St. Augustine "Like you I am a Christian". He later explained he dropped the preceding words ( "I am a bishop for you" ) to underscore his "first vocation" as a follower of Christ.[3]He was consecrated on 26 May and appointedVicar Generalfor the vicariate of Brussels.[4]While serving as auxiliary, in the Belgian bishops' conference he was responsible for the inter-diocesan Commission for Pastoral Liturgy (Flemish and French) and a delegate to theCommission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community(COMECE).[4]
When CardinalGodfried Danneels,Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, reached retirement age in 2008, the Nuncio to Belgium, ArchbishopKarl-Josef Rauber,recommended De Kesel to succeed him, a candidacy supported by Danneels as well.Pope Benedict XVIignored Rauber's recommendation and De Kesel remained an auxiliary. The affair was recalled in later years asPope Francistook a different stance, making Rauber a cardinal, moving De Kesel to Mechelen-Brussels, and then making De Kesel a cardinal as well.[5][6]
On 25 June 2010, De Kesel was appointed bishop ofBrugesafter the early resignation ofRoger Vangheluwe[4]and installed there on 10 July 2010.
In September 2010 De Kesel said: "I think the Church must ask itself the question of whether it is appropriate to keep the mandatory character ofcelibacy.We could say that there are celibate priests, but that people for whom celibacy is humanly impossible should also have the chance of becoming priests. "[1][7]
Archbishop
editOn 6 November 2015Pope Francisnamed De Kesel to succeedAndré-Joseph LéonardasArchbishop of Mechelen-BrusselsandPrimateof Belgium.[8]He was installed at a Mass attended by Belgium'sKing Philippeon 12 December 2015.[9]Christopher Lamb calls him "a moderate in comparison with his conservative predecessor". He noted that the Bishop of Antwerp,Johan Bonny,had called for the recognition of same-sex relationships, while De Kesel by contrast said that universal respect, no matter one's sexual orientation, "is a value that the Gospel shares with modern culture."[10]In an interview upon his appointment, De Kesel said he was inspired in his vocation by the theologiansRomano Guardini,Charles de Foucauld,Edward Schillebeeckx,Karl Rahnerand Willem Barnard, and laterDietrich Bonhoeffer.He said he hoped the Church would accept that it is shrinking even as it "radiates conviction" and addresses social ills. He was disappointed the recent Synod on the Family had not resulted in allowing remarried Catholics to receive Communion, but thought the assembly demonstrated that the Church has a new mentality, adding: "For me, mercy is an important word, but somehow it still has something condescending about it. I like to take a word like respect and reverence for man as my starting point. And that is perhaps a value that we as Christians have in common with the prevailing culture."[3]
De Kesel was elected president of theBelgian Episcopal Conferenceon 26 January 2016[11]and served until he retired as archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels in 2023.[citation needed]
Pope Francismade De Kesel a cardinal in theconsistoryof 19 November 2016.[12]
On 23 December 2017 Pope Francis appointed De Kesel a member of theDicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.[13][14]He was named a member of thePontifical Council for Cultureon 11 November 2019.[15]
He has advocated allowing 10-year-olds to both receive their First Communion and be confirmed.[3]
He was treated for cancer in 2020-21.[16]
In 2022, together with other bishops of Flanders, he published a formula for the blessing of same-sex couples, underlining that it is not to be understood as recognizing a different form of marriage. However its clearly at odds with the official Catholic stance that calls people with same-sex attraction to chastity, since it states that these unions "can also be a source of peace and shared happiness for those involved.”[17]
Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 22 June 2023.[18]
References
edit- ^abc"Mgr. Jozef De Kesel, primat de Belgique et futur cardinal".La Libre(in French). 9 October 2016.Retrieved22 June2023.
- ^abcd"Rinunce e Nomine, 20.03.2002"(Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office.Retrieved22 June2023.
- ^abcDe Kesel, Jozef (6 November 2015)."Allereerste interview nieuwe aartsbisschop Jozef De Kesel".Kerknet-redactie(Interview). Interviewed by Lieve Wouters.Retrieved22 June2023.
- ^abc"Rinunce e Nomine, 25.06.2010".Holy See Press Office. 25 June 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 28 July 2011.Retrieved2 November2010.
- ^Gagliarducci, Andrea (1 September 2019)."Five keys to interpreting Pope Francis' sixth consistory".Catholic News Agency.
- ^de Souza, Raymond (21 January 2016)."Is Francis really against Benedict?".Catholic Herald.Retrieved2 September2019.
- ^Waterfield, Bruno (21 September 2010)."Belgian bishops question whether priests need be celibate".The Telegraph.Retrieved2 September2019.
- ^"Jozef De Kesel: 'Kerk moet een open gemeenschap worden'".De Standaard(in Flemish). 6 November 2015.Retrieved2 September2019.
- ^"Malines-Bruxelles: Mgr De Kesel prend possession de son siège"(in French). Vatican Radio. 14 December 2015.Retrieved22 June2023.
- ^Lamb, Christopher (6 November 2015)."Moderate named new head of Catholic Church in Belgium".The Tablet.Retrieved2 September2019.
- ^"La Conférence des Évêques".CathoBel(in French).Archivedfrom the original on 16 March 2023.Retrieved19 September2023.
- ^"Pope announces 17 new Cardinals in consistory".Vatican Radio. 9 October 2016.Retrieved2 September2019.
- ^"Kardinaal De Kesel krijgt nieuwe functie in het Vaticaan".De Standaard(in Flemish). 24 December 2017.Retrieved2 September2019.
- ^"Resignations and Appointments, 23.12.2017"(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 23 December 2017.Retrieved2 September2019.
- ^"Resignations and Appointments, 11.11.2019"(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 11 November 2019.Retrieved11 November2019.
- ^De Kesel, Jozef (31 August 2021)."Belgian cardinal says the Church of the future will be more humble"(Interview). Interviewed by Christophe Henning.Retrieved23 June2023.
- ^"Belgian bishops publish text for same-sex blessings".The Pillar.20 September 2022.Retrieved22 September2022.
- ^"Rinunce e nomine, 22.06.2023"(Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 22 June 2023.Retrieved22 June2023.
- Additional sources
- Henning, Christophe (26 May 2021)."Cardinal Jozef De Kesel, a man of extraordinary freedom".La Croix International.
External links
edit
- "Mgr Jozef De Kesel, cardinal-archevêque de Malines-Bruxelles".CathoBel.
- "De Kesel Card. Jozef".Holy See Press Office.Archivedfrom the original on 4 September 2017.Retrieved24 October2017.