The Most Reverend

Lucas Van Looy

S.D.B.
Bishop Emeritus of Ghent
Van Looy with Nuncio Augustine Kasujja in 2017
ChurchCatholic Church
DioceseGhent
SeeGhent
Appointed19 December 2003
Installed1 February 2004
Term ended27 November 2019
PredecessorArthur Luysterman
SuccessorLode Van Hecke
Orders
Ordination12 September 1970
by Paul Constant Schoenmaekers
Consecration1 February 2004
by Godfried Danneels
Personal details
Born (1941-09-28) 28 September 1941
Tielen, Belgium
Previous post(s)Apostolic Administrator of Ghent (2019-20)
MottoIn nomine Patris
("In the name of the Father")
Coat of armsLucas Van Looy's coat of arms

Lucas Van Looy S.D.B. (born 28 September 1941) is a Belgian prelate of the Catholic Church who was Bishop of Ghent from 2004 to 2019. He worked as a missionary in South Korea for more than a decade and held leadership positions with the Salesians from 1984 to 2003.

Although Pope Francis planned to make him a cardinal in August 2022, he agreed not to at Van Looy's request.

Biography

Van Looy was born in Tielen, Belgium. He studied with the Jesuits in Turnhout and at Don Bosco College in Hechtel. He became a member of the Salesians of Saint John Bosco in 1961 and studied from 1962 to 1964 at their school in Groot-Bijgaarden. After three years in South Korea he studied theology at the Catholic University of Louvain from 1967 to 1970, earning a licentiate in missiology. He took his final vows as a Salesian on 6 March 1968 and was ordained a priest on 12 September 1970.[1]

He worked in South Korea as a teacher from 1972 to 1974 and as chaplain of Catholic students from 1974 to 1978. He then held a series of positions in the leadership of the Salesians: provincial from 1968 to 1984, head of missions from 1984 to 1990, youth ministry head from 1990 to 1996, and Vicar General from 1996 to 2003.[1]

He was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Ghent by Pope John Paul II on 19 December 2003,[1] and consecrated bishop by Cardinal Godfried Danneels on 1 February 2004.

In 2005, he paid $25,000 to a victim of a Belgian priest but failed to notify civil authorities that the priest continued to run an orphanage in Rwanda until 2014. In 2007, Bishop Van Looy assigned another Belgian priest who had been found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor in 1994 to a new parish. When the case was reported by local media in 2010 he defended the decision.[2]

In 2010, after Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard of Mechelen-Brussels described AIDS as a form of justice imposed on those who have engaged in promiscuous sex, Van Looy joined those criticizing such an viewpoint. He said: "It cannot be allowed, I think, that the sick after such a statement now have to suffer even more because they have been so stigmatized." He also allowed that "stable homosexual relationships" should be possible.[3]

On 29 March 2014, Pope Francis named him a member of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.[4]

He became chair of Caritas Europe in May 2014. In July 2015 he was named to the executive board of Caritas International by Pope Francis.[5][6]

After the bishops of Belgium named him an alternate delegate to the October 2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family,[7] Pope Francis included Van Looy among his own appointed delegates.[8] He was a papal nominee to the 2018 Synod of Bishops on Youth as well.[9] He told that Synod that the evaluation of candidates for the priesthood needed to consider the broader community's views, not just the recommendations of teachers and clerical superiors, but "also the parish priest, the catechists, the cook, the men and women who serve the community should be heard".[10]

Pope Francis accepted his retirement in December 2018, but asked him to remain as bishop until his successor was appointed.[11] On 27 November 2019, Pope Francis accepted his resignation and named Lode Van Hecke to succeed him.[12][13]

On 29 May 2022, Pope Francis announced he would make him a cardinal at a consistory scheduled for 27 August.[14] Van Looy later asked that he not be made a cardinal and Pope Francis agreed.[15] He received a cardinals ring from the pope that Van Looy describes as a personal gift without canonical effect.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rinunce e Nomine, 19.12.2003" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 19 December 2003. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  2. ↑ Allen Jr., John L. (19 June 2022). "Intentional or not, Pope offers valuable conclave tip on abuse baggage". Crux. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  3. ↑ Dick, John A. (15 October 2020). "Protest, disbelief follow Belgium archbishop's AIDS statements". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Rinunce e Nomine, 29.03.2014" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "Paus bezorgt Gentse bisschop Luc Van Looy benoeming bij Caritas International". De Standaard (in Flemish). 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "Rinunce e Nomine, 11.07.2015" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 11 July 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "XIV Assemblea Generale Ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi: Elenco dei Membri e dei Sostituti eletti dagli Organismi aventi diritto ratificati dal Santo Padre Francesco in data 22 maggio 2015, 16.06.2015" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "XIV Assemblea Generale Ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi (4-25 ottobre 2015) - Elenco dei Partecipanti, 15.09.2015" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "XV Assemblea Generale Ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi (3-28 ottobre 2018) – Elenco dei Partecipanti, 15.09.2018" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 15 September 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  10. ↑ Wooden, Cindy (11 October 2018). "Young people want credibility, someone to walk with them, bishops say". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  11. ↑ "Paus Franciscus aanvaardt ontslag bisschop Luc Van Looy". Kerknet (in Dutch). 16 December 2018.
  12. ↑ "Resignations and Appointments, 27.11.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  13. ↑ "Lode Van Hecke nieuwe bisschop van Gent". De Standaard (in Dutch). 27 November 2019.
  14. ↑ "Annuncio di Concistoro il 27 agosto per la creazione di nuovi Cardinali, 29.05.2022" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 29 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  15. ↑ d'Otreppe, Bosco (16 June 2022). "Luc Van Looy, évêque émérite de Gand, a demandé au pape de ne pas devenir cardinal". La Libre (in French). Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  16. ↑ Decroubele, Peter (30 October 2022). ""Een geste van de paus": Franciscus schenkt oud-bisschop van Gent Luc Van Looy stiekem dan tóch de kardinaalsring". VRT NWS (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
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