The Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is the primatial see of Belgium and the centre of the ecclesiastical province governed by the Archbishop of Mechelen–Brussels, which covers the whole of Belgium. It was formed in 1559 and the bishop has a seat in two cathedrals, St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen and the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels. The current archbishop is Luc Terlinden, who was installed in September 2023.
Overview
The Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels consists of the Province of Brabant in addition to eight municipalities in the Province of Antwerp, including Bonheiden, Duffel, Mechelen and Sint-Katelijne-Waver.
In 1995, the Province of Brabant was later split into three areas: the Dutch-speaking province of Flemish Brabant; the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region; the French-speaking province of Walloon Brabant. The Church did not form new dioceses to fit with this; instead, three vicariates general were created, with their own auxiliary bishop, to accommodate the three regional entities.
Language issues
The name differs in the diocese's two languages; the Dutch name of the see is Mechelen–Brussel and in French, it is called Malines–Bruxelles.
In English, Mechelen was traditionally called Mechlin or Malines but now it more commonly remains being called Mechelen. Both Brussel and Bruxelles are called Brussels.
Cathedrals
The duality of the Belgian archbishopric is also reflected in its two active co-cathedrals: St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen and St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral in Brussels.
Collegiate churches and chapters
Former chapters in the archdiocese. Chapter of Our-Lady: Cathedral of Mechelen Chapter of Saint-Peter: Leuven Chapter of Saint John the Baptist: Diest Chapter of Saint-Sulpicius: Diest Chapter of Our-Lady: Aarschot Chapter of Saint-Leonard: Zouleeuw Chapter of Saint-Germanus: Tillemont Chapter of Saint-Michael and Gudule: Brussels Cathedral Chapter of Saint-Peter: Anderlecht Chapter of Our Lady and Saint-Martin: Aalst Chapter of Saint-Peter: Ninove Chapter of Saint-Peter: Rosmay Chapter of Saint-Hermes Chapter of Saint-Berland: Meerbeek Chapter of Saint-Paul: Nivelles Chapter of Saint-Gertrud: Nivelles
Abbeys
In the territory of the diocese important abbeys can be found: Averbode Abbey Affligem Abbey Bornem Abbey Forest Abbey Grimbergen Abbey Groenendael Priory Dieleghem Abbey St. Bernard's Abbey, Hemiksem Keizersberg Abbey Kortenberg Abbey La Cambre Abbey Park Abbey Rouge-Cloître Abbey Vlierbeek Abbey Sheen Anglorum Charterhouse
History
The Archbishop of Mechelen–Brussels was historically primate of the whole of the Low Countries following the 1559 reorganisation creating fifteen dioceses. Over time, the two other ecclesiastical provinces broke from Mechelen–Brussels' primacy. Cambrai was already in France and its kings managed gradually to annex French Flanders, and Utrecht and its suffragans in the Dutch republic (later kingdom) would long have their hierarchy suspended because the northern state was a champion of "anti-papist" Calvinism. The Napoleonic 1801 concordat re-drew the whole map again.
The country, by tradition, has the Archbishop of Mechelen made a cardinal.
The Archdiocese of Mechelen was renamed the Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels on 8 December 1961 as part of a restructuring of the Catholic dioceses in Belgium. Two new dioceses were created. On the same day, the Diocese of Antwerp was created from areas previously administered by the Archdiocese of Mechelen. Six years later the Diocese of Hasselt was also created. This meant that the new dioceses largely corresponding to the provinces of Belgium. Most of the Catholic Church's presence in the Province of Antwerp (except in the municipality of Mechelen) was made into the Diocese of Antwerp.
Archbishop André-Joseph Leonard succeeded Cardinal Danneels in January 2010. On 22 February 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr. Jean Kockerols, Fr. Jean-Luc Hudsyn, and Fr. Leon Lemmens as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels. Upon reaching 75 years Leonard tendered his resignation, which was accepted. In the autumn of 2015 Pope Francis appointed the bishop of Bruges, Jozef De Kesel, as the new archbishop, who was created Cardinal in 2016. De Kesel was succeeded on 3 September 2023 by Luc Terlinden.