EARLY BELGIAN COLONIAL EFFORTS - The University of Texas at ...

Leopold I and II used their personal fortunes and access to state funds to back or finance
quasi governmental ventures. 90 Leopold II, however, did so successfully.
As a rationale for colonial development in the later part of the twentieth century,
the question of religion and the strong desire for conversion is frequently mentioned.
The religious world of early Belgium, however, shows a uniformity of belief and little
interest in external religious adventure. The unity of purpose that created the union
party in 1828 with the conservative Catholic Church of Belgium had centered on the
question of education and the primacy of Catholicism. The actions of the Belgian
Catholic Church over the next thirty years solidified its position in education and
assured its independent position 91 in the country.
Additionally, the two most ambitious colonial adventures, Santo Tomas and
Santa Catarina, took place in the totally Catholic countries of Guatemala and Brazil,
respectively. Part of the rationale for the choice of these countries was the fact that
Belgium could offer the possibility of good, hardworking Catholic colonists who would
not disturb the religious solidarity and peace of these countries.
Lastly, as the union party began to collapse into partisan politics, the secular
Freemason element of the liberal party soon tried to limit any religious activity on the
part of the Catholic Church, which included the official backing of the Belgian
90 Leopold I’s income was relatively modest for a monarch. In addition to sums he received as
King of the Belgians, he received a major annual disbursement of fifty thousand pounds from the British
government upon the death of his first wife Charlotte. He was wise enough, however to put it in trust to
maintain his English country manor Claremont. There was, however, no effective way for the British
government to know how he actually spent the income. Leopold II was simply one of the richest people
in Europe.
91 The collapse of the union party was at least in part due to the church’s refusal to allow secular
schools.
49