The King of the Belgians has spoken of the power of love in a powerful Christmas speech.
King Philippe said he had been moved to think of how we all treat others after receiving a letter from school children who wanted to know what he, and others, were going to do to help young people impacted by war.
The Belgian king invited them to his royal palace to talk about the fears and concerns they had after they told him that they had tried to imagine what life would be like for children growing up surrounded by conflict.
Speaking on Christmas Eve, as images of the school visit were shown, King Philippe said ”I understand their helplessness, their feeling of powerlessness.…their questions make us think of our responsibilities. Their empathy must awake our sometimes sleeping consciences. We must not remain indifferent to so many violations of international law.”
As he reflected on what they had all talked about, King Philippe said ”these young people are asking us to give them reasons to hope. These reasons to hope exist. Always. To hope is not to wait passively for a better future. It is making a commitment to build, to move forward together towards a fairer, more respectful world where every child is welcomed as the most precious of promises.”
And he called on world leaders to make these thoughts into concrete actions, saying ”for Heads of State and politicians, this implies a constant commitment to safeguarding a world order based on international law, in favour of peace and for the protection of all…..starting with the most vulnerable of all – the children.”
The King of the Belgians ended on a positive note, saying ”may this Christmas and New Year season be a source of inspiration, renewal and hope for each of us.”
Standing in front of a giant Christmas tree, with photos of his wife and children at his side, King Philippe concluded ”together with the Queen and our entire family, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
