[2] Van Peteghem was born a short distance to the north of Ghent, the youngest of his parents' twelve children.

He spent some of his childhood in nearby Lochristi after his parents relocated to obtain work, and more of it in De Pinte (still in East Flanders) for the same reason.

On 22 January 1960 he became an ecclesiastical judge in the Bishopric of Ghent, and he was appointed diocesan Vicar general by The Bishop a year later.

Van Peteghem therefore submitted his resignation on his birthday, and after slightly more than two months, Pope John Paul II accepted it on 27 December 1991.

His funeral took place at St Bavo's on 17 January 2004 in the presence of Cardinal Archbishop Danneels and of the city's Socialist mayor, Frank Beke.

The service was conducted by Bishop Luysterman, and after it was over Van Peteghem's mortal remains were buried in the crypt.