(LifeSiteNews) — An Islamic passage from the Quran was chanted in Arabic at the opening Mass of a university in Belgium.
A young man chanted a passage from Surah Ash-Shu’ara (The Poets), which reads, “And relate to them the story of Abraham, when he asked his father and his people, ‘What do you worship?’” as shown in a video posted to Facebook.
Islamic prayer included in opening Mass at Catholic University
The line has been crossed. https://t.co/yEKSg4qFDa
— Sign of the Cross (@CatholicSOTC) September 21, 2026
The Islamic prayers were part of “interreligious dialogue” at KU Leuven, a Catholic university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. KU Leuven reportedly planned to have a Jewish religious text recited as well, “but this was dropped at the last moment,” AdVaticanum reported. “Readings from Anglicans and Protestants” were also reportedly said during Mass, which was attended by Archbishop Luc Terlinden.
KVHV-Leuven, a student organization at the university, told AdVaticanum that it is not the first time that Islamic prayers have been recited at Mass there.
“Last year, Islamic prayers were also chanted during this Mass as part of ‘interreligious dialogue’. This year, it was the same but now our cameras were at the ready,” the group said.
They published a video of the Mass in order to highlight what they said is the problematic policy of trying to “fabricate some kind of ‘middleground’ between religions that are incompatible at their core.”
“We understand and defend the position of our university as a place of dialogue, interchanging of ideas and religious criticism. We believe, however, that these things should be left to professors and researchers in dedicated centres. This so-called ‘dialogue’ has no place however during the Holy Eucharist as it devalues Christian traditions as well as respect for Islamic cultures,” the student organization said.
“Therefore, we wish our university, and our bishops, to give the church back to the Christians and to leave the mosques for Muslims. Then, and only then, we can have a proper dialogue and exchanging of cultures between religions.”
Jeroen Bergers, a Belgium MP, publicly denounced the event. Writing that “woke is going crazy at our universities,” he cited the Leuven Mass as an instance of “entrenched left-wing ideological thinking” in academia.
German Catholic commentator David Berger also took aim at the interfaith ceremony, arguing that a Catholic Mass should not become an “interreligious playground.” He pointed out that the ceremony raised the basic question of what was left of KU Leuven’s Catholic identity.
Even Canadian author Gad Saad slammed the event, stating, “Suicidal Empathy rears its ugly head yet again,” the Hungarian Conservative reported.
The Mass was offered by Father Jacques Haers, a Jesuit priest and member of the university’s Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. He formerly served as the Chair of the Centre for Liberation Theologies.
Professor Martijn Steegen, a married layman and head chaplain and director of the university parish, gave the homily during Mass, in violation of Catholic teaching. A picture of the Mass shows that he worse a V-shaped red cloth similar to a priest’s stole. Two women wearing red scarf-like cloths flanked the men behind the altar during at least part of the liturgy.