The Military Ordinariate of Belgium is a military ordinariate

Military ordinariate

A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, of Latin or Eastern Rite, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation....

 of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

. Immediately subject to the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

, it provides pastoral care

Pastoral care

Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...

 to Roman Catholics serving in the Belgian Armed Forces and their families.

History

It was established as a military vicariate on 7 September 1957, and elevated to a military ordinariate on 21 July 1986. The Military Ordinary's seat

Cathedra

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

 is located at the Co-cathedral

Co-cathedral

A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or cathedra, with another cathedral. Instances of this occurred in England before the Protestant Reformation in the dioceses of Bath and Wells, and of Coventry and Lichfield, hence the names of these dioceses...

 of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg

Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg

The Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg or Sint-Jacob-op-Koudenberg is a neoclassical church located in the historic square of Place Royale in central Brussels, Belgium.-History:...

 (Sint-Jacob op de Koudenbergkerk) in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. The post of Military Ordinary is vested in the Archbishop of Mechelen and Primate of Belgium.

Military vicars

• Jozef-Ernest van Roey
  Jozef-Ernest van Roey
  Jozef-Ernest van Roey was a Belgian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Mechelen from 1926 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1927.-Biography:...
  
   (appointed 1957 – died 6 August 1961)
• Leo Jozef Suenens (appointed 24 November 1961 – retired 1979)
• Godfried Danneels (appointed 15 September 1980 – became military ordinary 21 July 1986)

Military ordinaries

• Godfried Danneels (appointed 21 July 1986 – retired 27 February 2010)
• André-Joseph Léonard
  André-Joseph Léonard
  André-Joseph Léonard is a Belgian prelate, the current archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and thus Primate of Belgium since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 18 January 2010. He had previously served as bishop of Namur from 1991 until 2010 as André-Mutien Léonard.- Early life :Léonard was born...
  
  (current incumbent, appointed 27 February 2010)