Jesuits leave historic Belgian stronghold after 456 years

LIÈGE, Belgium (LifeSiteNews) — The Society of Jesus has formally ended its 456-year presence in Belgium, citing declining numbers and an aging membership.

On June 13, the Diocese of Liège, Belgium, officially bid farewell to the Jesuits during a Mass of thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop Jean-Pierre Delville at Saint-Christophe Church. The ceremony marked the end of an uninterrupted Jesuit presence that began in 1569.

Nearly 600 people attended the liturgy, including priests, religious men and women, former students, teachers, and local faithful. The departure follows a broader reorganization of Jesuit communities in Western Europe as the order faces a shortage of new vocations and a steadily aging membership.

“If the Jesuits are withdrawing from Liège because they are no longer numerous enough, is it because we have not prayed enough?” Delville asked during the homily, according to a report by Tribune Chrétienne.

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The Diocese of Liège described the event as the conclusion of a long chapter in the history of local Catholic life. Although the Jesuit community is leaving the city, educational institutions established by the order are expected to continue operating. Among them is the Saint-Benoît Saint-Servais College, which was founded by the Jesuits in 1838 and will remain part of the educational landscape.

The development in Liège is not an isolated case, as similar challenges have affected numerous religious institutes throughout Western Europe over recent decades, prompting several congregations to consolidate or close long-standing communities.

In Spain, the Society of Jesus has closed its last religious community in the Diocese of Cartagena, ending more than 150 years of continuous presence in Murcia since the order’s return there in 1871.

Jesuit leaders in Spain likewise attributed the decision to a shortage of vocations and demographic decline within the order.

In Liège, the departure carries particular historical significance because the city was one of the principal centers of Jesuit activity in the territories that now form Belgium. Over generations, members of the order were involved in the education of young people, with Catholic schooling and evangelization efforts throughout the region. Their influence extended beyond individual institutions and contributed to the development of local religious life.

The history of the Jesuits in Liège began in 1569, only a few decades after St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society. The order established itself in the city during the period following the Protestant Revolution.

Among the early Jesuits connected with the city was St. Peter Canisius, one of the leading figures of Catholic renewal and an important pioneer of the Society of Jesus. His work helped strengthen Catholic life in several regions of Europe during the 16th century.

For nearly five centuries, Jesuits maintained a continuous presence in Liège despite major political, social, and religious changes. Their ministries included teaching, spiritual formation, and provision of the sacraments. The order became a familiar part of the local Church and established institutions that continued to influence Catholic education well beyond the boundaries of the city.

While many religious orders are reducing their presence across Europe, many countries have reported increases in adult conversions and reception into the Catholic Church.

In the Netherlands, official figures published by the Catholic ecclesiastical statistics institute Kaski, as reported by The Pillar, show a significant rise in new adult Catholics in 2024. The number of adults entering the Church increased from 455 in 2023 to 630 in 2024, representing an increase of approximately 40 percent. The figures include both adults who received baptism and Christians from other communities who were formally received into the Catholic Church.

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Similar patterns have been reported elsewhere in Europe. France recorded a substantial increase in adult baptisms, while Belgium has also registered growth in adult Catholic initiations over the past decade. According to figures, the number of adult baptisms in Belgium rose from 186 in 2014 to 362 in 2024. Belgian bishops have also reported a modest increase in Mass attendance, with a rise of approximately 4 percent in participation at Sunday Masses.

However, at least since the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Jesuits became pioneers of modernism and later neo-modernism. These thinkers sought to reconcile Christianity with modern philosophy, psychology, archaeology, astronomy, and historical criticism. This effort led to a gradual shift from scholastic realism to historical relativism, in which truths of the faith are interpreted through the lens of experience and culture rather than Divine Revelation.

By the mid‑20th century, this school of thought evolved into neo‑modernism, characterized by the idea that doctrine must adapt to the “signs of the times.” Jesuit institutions, with their strong academic networks and influence in education, became incubators of this approach. Many of the influential names of modernist thought within the Church have been Jesuits, including George Tyrrell, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and Karl Rahner.