Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, participated in an international interfaith conference held at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on Friday, October 2, 2026, emphasizing the importance of dialogue in promoting peaceful coexistence and social cohesion.

The conference, entitled “Safeguarding Social Cohesion Through Dialogue in a Changing World,” was jointly organized by the Muslim World League and the Centre for Studies and Research on the Arab and Mediterranean World (CERMAM). It was chaired by Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, as part of his official visit to Belgium.

The gathering brought together representatives of Belgium’s recognized religious communities, academics, politicians, experts and civil society representatives. Among those attending were leaders of the Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant and Jewish communities, as well as the Director of the Office of King Philippe of Belgium.

In his address, Metropolitan Athenagoras stressed the urgent need for genuine dialogue, warning that without meaningful encounters and communication, individuals and religious communities…