Le Point: "Does King Baudouin deserve beatification?"

King Baudoin in his office at the Palais Royal in Brussels in 1990 © CHARLIER/SIPA / SIPA / CHARLIER/SIPA

France can boast of having Saint Louis, but tomorrow the Belgians may have Baudouin to venerate... Pope Francis announced on Sunday that he wished to launch the beatification procedure for the former King of the Belgians, who died in 1993, as soon as possible. As soon as I return to Rome, I will open the process for the beatification of King Baudouin," he announced at the end of the closing Mass of his trip to Belgium. May his example as a man of faith enlighten those in power!

The project was already in the drawers, but now it's been officially launched by the Vatican, and the Pontiff has asked the Belgian bishops to work quickly on the subject, proof that this cause is particularly close to his heart. Beatification enables the Church to highlight a deceased personality whose life and deeds serve as an example and merit the veneration of the faithful. It is the first step before canonization, the highest level of devotion among Catholics.

Does Baudouin deserve the title of Blessed? If we look at his personal life, no doubt. From a very young age, this shy, short-sighted prince was deeply attached to the Catholic faith, and even considered leaving the throne to his brother Albert to become a monk... Marked by his years of scouting, he tried all his life to put into practice the Christian values that nourished his spirituality, sometimes giving the image of a mystical... and conservative king.

A bachelor for a long time, young Baudouin shared his faith and convictions in osmosis with the Spaniard Fabiola, as fervent a Catholic as himself, who died in 2014. He proposed in Lourdes, where he liked to pray to the Virgin, and they both placed their lives under the protection of Mary and Christ. This very pious king made sure to take communion every day, making time for prayer and reciting his rosary, with his wife and sometimes even visitors. He regularly read Thomas More, Saint Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus and the writings and meditations of the mystic Louis-Marie de Montfort, which became almost his bedside books. Not to mention the pilgrimages and weekend spiritual retreats he shared with the Queen.

Baudouin was to reign for over forty years, trying to exercise his kingship like a priesthood. As soon as he was married, part of the gifts were used to finance a mutual aid fund, in which Queen Fabiola invested herself. Through her secretariat, she tried to respond to and help the thousands of letters she received by collaborating with certain ministries. For his part, the King set up the Baudouin Foundation, which worked for social justice and education, tackled prison problems, and fought poverty and trafficking in women - a former prostitute even paid tribute to him at his funeral, which was unprecedented for a king's funeral...

It remains to judge his political actions, given that the Constitution severely limited his real power. It was notably under his reign that the Congo gained independence, and he delivered a solemn speech on the occasion, although historians will regret the absence of any compassion for the crimes and abuses committed by Belgium during colonization...

On the other hand, Pope Francis has already hailed his act of " courage " when he voluntarily withdrew from power for 36 hours in the spring of 1990 to avoid having to sign the law legalizing abortion - Baudoin had invoked " a serious problem of conscience " and Parliament had come up with a last-minute sleight-of-hand. An exemplary decision for the Pope, who recently described doctors who perform abortions as " hired killers ", prompting strong reactions...

From now on, it will be up to historians, bishops and experts to decide on the beatification procedure, which could take years. A miracle is required to ratify the final decision by decree. For the time being, no divine signs, cures or other benefits from Baudouin's intercession have been officially reported. But the Pope's clear stance suggests that the Vatican may already have some evidence up its prelates' sleeves.

Read the article on www.lepoint.fr

By Marc Fourny

Published October 2, 2024