A symbolic ceremony was held this week at Saint Michael’s Cathedral, the largest and most important church in Brussels, Belgium.
The event was attended by hundreds of participants, including Christian clergy, the Chief Rabbi of Brussels and Belgium, Rabbi Abraham Gigi, and senior figures from the Jewish community, marking a significant step in addressing a historical injustice dating back some 650 years.
At the center of the ceremony were ancient stained-glass windows in the cathedral that depicted a 1370 blood libel. According to the false accusation, a Jew was charged with attempting to steal church property and consecrated bread.
These claims at the time led to violent pogroms, looting, murders of Jews, and the expulsion of the Jewish community from the Duchy of Brabant.
During the ceremony, the stained-glass windows referencing the blood libel were removed. In their place, an official plaque was installed in local languages and Hebrew, containing a formal apology for the suffering caused to the Jewish people.
The plaque states, among other things: “We acknowledge that in various parts of Europe, baseless accusations of desecration of the Eucharist were made against Jewish communities. These defamations led to unjust persecution, massacres, and expulsions. We ask forgiveness from the Jewish people for the suffering caused by these accusations."
The Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Luc Terlinden, signed the declaration, noting that theological and social antisemitism stands in direct contradiction to the Gospel message of Christianity.
The document emphasizes a commitment to deepening Jewish-Christian dialogue and preserving a memory based on truth and mutual respect for future generations.
