Catholic University under Fire over Year-Opening Mass Featuring Islamic Chant
Academic year opening ceremony at the Catholic University of Leuven, Flanders, Belgium in 2025 September.
Footage of an Islamic chant being delivered during the opening Mass of the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in Flanders, Belgium, has triggered massive backlash from Catholic groups and conservatives, as the ceremony, held inside St Peter’s Church, is one of the historic institution’s most explicitly Christian traditions.
The incident occurred on 16 September, when KU Leuven formally opened the 2026–27 academic year. The programme began with the traditional procession of professors in academic regalia, followed by a Eucharistic celebration presided over by university pastor Jacques Haers.
The scene sparked harsh criticism from Flemish Catholic student group KVHV-Leuven, which accused the university of placing Islam above its own heritage and mocked it by suggesting that its ‘K’ initial stood for ‘Koran’ (Quran).
https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/current/catholic-university-ku-leuven-islamic-chant-backlash-woke-belgium/
