Jan van Cauwelaert, Belgian-born Congolese Roman Catholic prelate, Died at 102

  Religion

Jan van Cauwelaert was born on April 12, 1914, in Antwerp, Belgium and died on August 18, 2016.

He was a Belgian-born Congolese Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.

At the time of his death, he was one of the oldest bishops in the Church, the oldest European-born bishop, and the last living one consecrated by Cardinal Jozef-Ernest van Roey.

He was the youngest son of politician Frans Van Cauwelaert.

Jan Van was ordained a priest on August 6, 1939 with the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a Roman Catholic religious institute.

On January 6, 1954, Jan was appointed Apostolic Vicar of the Inongo Diocese in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Titular Bishop of Metropolis in Asia.

Cauwelaert was consecrated on March 25, 1954 and was appointed Bishop of Inongo Diocese on November 10, 1959.

Jan van Cauwelaert resigned from the governance of that see on June 12, 1967, and was transferred to the titular see of Uccula.

After the title of Bishop Emeritus came into use, he resigned on October 12, 1976 from his titular see, becoming Bishop Emeritus of Inongo.

Jan van Cauwelaert passed away at 102 years old.