During his apostolic trip to Luxembourg and Belgium, Pope Francis gave a homily at the Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, and made the following announcement: “Upon my return to Rome I will begin the process of beatification of King Baudouinso that with his example as a man of faith he may enlighten the governors.” With this news, His Holiness touched the heart of the Belgiansstill faithful, thirty-one years after his death, to the memory of Baldwin I, the Sovereign who exercised conscientious objection, and renounced the throne for thirty-six hours, in April 1990, to avoid signing a law, that of abortionwhich went against his deep religious convictions.
© Getty ImagesIn the same homily, the Supreme Pontiff asked the Belgian bishops “to commit themselves to carrying forward this cause,” because the road ahead is long and with endless twists and turns. If all the steps are finally completed, Baldwin I He will become the first blessed King of modern times, following in the wake of other historical sovereigns such as Ferdinand III of Castile – canonized on February 7, 1671 by Clement X –, Boris I of Bulgaria –considered holy in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches – or Margaret of Scotland, who ascended to the altars at the hand of Pope Innocence IV, in 1251. Each of the hagiographies of these kings are full of evidence of an unwavering faith in the Church .
Besides, on this visit apostolic ministry, Pope Francis expressed his desire to go to the Royal Pantheon of the Church of Laeken, a visit that was not originally scheduled, but was incorporated into the itinerary. During the tour of the crypt, he was accompanied Kings Felipe and Matildaas well as the King Emeritus, Albert II. Once there, according to the Vatican, the Holy Father “stopped before the tomb of King Baudouin in silent prayer” and recommended turning our gaze to King Baudouin “at these moments when murderous laws are being drawn up.”
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© Getty ImagesThe process, step by step
Known by some as the Sad King – the death of his mother, Queen Astrid, in an accident when he was five marked him deeply – but also as the King of Tenderness, the story of his early death, at sixty and two years, explains, in large part, his way of life. Her great-niece, Ana María Chico de Guzmán, recounted in the program blood ties What was his death like: “He went up to the roof of the house very frequently, because he liked to be quiet in prayer (…) With views of the sea and also of the Sierra Nevada. This is where he went up on July 31, 1993 to pray and here he died. “He had a heart attack.” Chico de Guzmán was referring to Villa Astrida, the residence of Balduino and Fabiola from Belgiumfrom Motril (Granada), surrounded by a 26,000 square meter estate and with sea views.
© Getty ImagesThe news of the beatification process of Baldwin I has plunged people into deep joy. Belgian Catholicsalthough some experts in ecclesiastical issues have wanted to clarify that the process will be long and complicated. The spokesman for the Episcopal Conference, Geert De Kerpel, stated that “the Pope’s announcement was a complete surprise for us.” And the theologian Emmanuel Van Lierde, biographer in addition to the Pope, has added to this climate of surprise: “Normally, it is the bases who ask to beatify or canonize someone. “It is not usually the highest ecclesiastical power that initiates the process.”
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© Getty ImagesOnce the declaration by Pope Francis is made, the path to sainthood must overcome the following instances: a diocesan investigation to compile documents that prove the candidate’s virtuous life or his death by defend the catholic faith; then, the presentation of a miracle performed, or carried out through his intercession. All the documentation collected is sent to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints, where it is carefully analyzed; Only if the Congregation approves the case, the Supreme Pontiff issues the decree of beatification; The last step would be to hold a Beatification Ceremonyin which the Pope officially declares the candidate blessed.
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© Getty ImagesA virtuous life with Fabiola
Baldwin I, a shy and withdrawn man, he had few friends in your life. Among them, Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens, archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, one of the architects of the Second Vatican Council, and who was its confessor. Suenens wrote a biography of the Sovereign, “Baldouin, the King’s Secret”, in which he described the sensitive and deeply religious nature of the Monarch. The early abdication of Leopold III, in 1951, forced Baldwin to ascend to the Throne, at just twenty-one years old, now reignsomething that was far from his life expectations.
© Getty ImagesIn addition to being a biographer and confessor, Suenens played a fundamental role in the love story of Baudouin and Fabiolabecause he recommended to his friend – who had been a bachelor on the Throne for ten years – that he look for a wife. The Irish nun Verónica O’Brien, of the Legion of Mary, helped in the task of finding the ideal candidate for him: Fabiola de Mora y Aragón, daughter of the Marquises of Casa Riera. Baudouin and Fabiola seemed made for each other: in his early youth he had pursued the idea of being a priest and Fabiola had also flirted with the idea of becoming a nun. However, both, with a measured combination of romanticism and responsibility, embarked on a life together that could only be broken by Baudouin’s death.
They say that their first meeting was held in Brussels and that the second took place in the sanctuary of Lourdes, in 1960. And that after that meeting, Baudouin wrote in a letter his emotional impressions of that serene and cautious Spaniard: “She is very thoughtful and insightful, I love her more and more. What I like most about her is her humility, her trust in the Blessed Virgin and her transparency. Thank you for bringing it to me. I am unable to repeat the numerous and good conversations that always took us into the evening and we ended the day in front of the Grotto praying the rosary. During the celebration of mass I feel truly moved to say that I love her and I would like to write it in the missal. It was too beautiful. “I wanted to cry with joy and gratitude to our mother in heaven, who had performed a new miracle.”
© Getty ImagesAfter this declaration of love, they became engaged on September 17, 1960 and married three months later, on December 15. In its 851st edition, HELLO! offered its readers a 68-page issue with all the information about a wedding that sparked a flurry of good wishes. The bride wore a spectacular Balenciaga winter designvery much in line with Fabiola’s modest personality. Made of ivory satin, the brilliant Balenciaga needed thirty meters of fabric to give the dress the desired volume. In addition, it was trimmed with white mink, a detail of elegance that no one went unnoticed.
Many described the wedding as a true fairy tale. It is not surprising, then the bride – thirty-two years old, an age that, in the sixties of the last century, seemed more typical of “spinsters” than of newlyweds – had shown five years earlier her ability to create fantastic stories and had written a volume for her nephews called The twelve wonderful stories, which was later renamed as The tales of Queen Fabiola.
© Getty ImagesBoth Leopoldo and Fabiola had to overcome the pain of not being able to have children. In 2008, Fabiola from Belgium confirmed in a televised interview what had been rumored for decades: “I lost five children, but I have learned to live with it.” Out of responsibility towards the Belgian Crown, eager for the arrival of an heir, it is said that Fabiola even suggested to her husband that the marriage be annulled in order to ensure offspringbut Bauduino did not think twice: his life was with her. The fact of not having been able to have children of their own caused them both to always focus on childhood and join countless humanitarian causes.
When Baudouin died, Queen Fabiola surprised and moved by her decision to attend the funeral of her husband, with whom she had been thirty-three years, dressed in white, like medieval queens, as a sign of hope and faith in the resurrection. For decades, Baldwin I of Belgium has been remembered as a ‘man of God’. His wife, who followed the same path of righteousness, joined him on December 5, 2014. Together they rest in the Royal Pantheon of the Laeken church where, these days, Pope Francis has prayed in front of them.
