Sunday Mass Attendance in Belgium Sees Rise After Years of Decline

Brussels, June 6, 2025: Average Sunday Mass attendance in Belgium rose by 3.6% in 2024, reaching 173,335 participants, up from 167,360 in 2023, according to newly released statistics by the Belgian Bishops' Conference. The increase, recorded nationwide, appears to be driven by urban areas with active religious communities, though specific reasons behind the growth remain officially unspecified.

While the Bishops’ Conference did not directly attribute the rise to any single cause, the September 2024 visit of Pope Francis to Brussels and the accompanying surge in media coverage are seen as possible contributing factors. Another likely influence is the steady rise in adult baptisms over the past decade, which have nearly doubled from 186 in 2014 to 362 in 2024, with a further increase to 536 expected this year.

Currently, about half of Belgium’s population of nearly 12 million identifies as Catholic. Despite the recent uptick in Mass attendance, the numbers remain below pre-pandemic figures, which exceeded 200,000.

Church leaders have welcomed the increase cautiously, viewing it as a potential sign of renewed interest in faith practice, particularly among younger generations and converts.

Source: Shalom World

Image Credit: St. Salvator’s Cathedral in Bruges, Belgium. Maros/wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0.