a statue of the Virgin Mary with a halo of stars and was struck by the way the stars, reflecting the sun, glowed against the blue of the sky. Lévy later visited Léon Marchal, the then Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and suggested that he should propose twelve golden stars on a blue ground as the motif for the flag of Europe. On the other hand, a 2004 article in The Economist attributed a statement to Heitz, in which he claims to have been inspired by Revelations 12:1. Lévy has stated that he was only informed of the connection to the Book of Revelation after it was chosen. Honours Created Baron by RD of king Albert II; 2000. Grand Officer in the Order of Leopold. Grand Officer in the Order of the Crown. Grand Officer in the Order of Leopold II. Commander in the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr References 1910 births 2002 deaths Breendonk prison camp survivors Belgian Jews Belgian radio journalists Belgian Roman Catholics Converts to Roman Catholicism from Judaism Council of Europe people History of the European Union Belgian people in the United Kingdom during World War II Belgian resistance members Jewish resistance members during the Holocaust Barons of Belgium Flag designers