Bishop Bonny of Antwerp Accused of Homophilic Statements by Catholic Laity in Rome

(Brussels) The Bishop of Antwerp, Msgr. Johan Bonny, has been brought on charges in the Roman Congregation for the Clergy. "We demand clarity as to whether this is still a Catholic, what Bishop Bonny has claimed or not," said the Belgian, Catholic lay association Pro Familia .

The Bishop has been widely known in recent years primarily through his homophilic utterances. Born in Ostende in West Flanders 1955, Bonny was appointed in 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI, however, he is a "product" of the former primate of Belgium, Godfried Cardinal Danneels, and the then apostolic nuncio, Karl-Josef Rauber. Danneels was retired and "disowned" in 2010 by Benedict XVI.  because the German pope did not see Danneels'  ideal progressive candidate as fit to succeed, but chose the "conservative" André-Joseph Léonard instead. Rauber was also retired by Benedict XVI. Both Danneels and Rauber are, incontrast, held in high regard by  Pope Francis.  Danneels belonged toTeam Bergoglio , who [illegally] organized the election Jorge Mario Bergoglio in the conclave of 2013. Rauber was raised by Francis to Cardinal, while he denied Archbishop Léonard the purple.

"Acknowledge Homosexual love" 

The controversial Bonny-book

Last October 11 is Bonny's book "Mag ik? Dank je. Sorry. Vrijmoedige dialoog over Relaties, huwlijk en gezin" (May I? Thank you. Sorry. Frank dialogue about relationships, Marriage and Family) appeared. As the Gazet van Antwerpen had already reported on October 6, Antwerp's bishop speaks for "new religious rituals" from "which we can recognize the reality of life between homosexuals also from ecclesiastical and religious perspective?" The marriage is indeed  a connection between man and woman, but it is though that the Church should recognize homosexual unions and bless them in a private ritual.

The Belgian Association of Catholic laity Pro Familia (not to be confused with the West German branch of the international abortion group Planned Parenthood ) was no longer prepared to accept this "Belgian situation." They filed a complaint because of  several lines in Bonny's new book with Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Clergy.

Bishop Bonny writes therein:

"In no way could we continue to assert that there is no other form of love outside of heterosexual marriage. We encounter the same love even in a man and in a woman's life in the experience of a gay or lesbian couple.

Roman Congregation for Clergy now has to give an answer

"The Roman Congregation is the competent, senior administrative body, which now must provide an answer to the question of whether what Bishop Bonny teaches is Catholic, or whether it is a false doctrine that contradicts the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Catechism refers to aberrosexuality as "an objective disorder". The Congregation will have to consider also whether the bishop is to be condemned for it or not," said OsservatorioGender Rodolfo de Mattei.

They had arrived at a crossroads. It is no longer possible to turn a blind eye. The Catholic lay organization calls for clarification, since the Catholic deposit of faith is not a hotchpotch of different opinions.

The step of the Belgian Association of Pro Familia can also be seen against the background of great confusion caused by the post-synodal papal Letter Amoris Laetitia, which has been driven to new heights. It gives the impression that the Catholic Church has spread the idea everywhere, the "air of a spiritual Wild West" where everyone  - whether episcopal conferences, dioceses or individuals - are trying to do what he wants, and to interpret in his own way, even the most controversial parts of the recent post-synodal letter.

When it became known that the complaint would be introduced, Bishop Bonny said: "Everyone is free to go where he wants." At the same time, he urged his critics to read the texts of Pope Francis again, "especially Evangelium Gaudium  and Amoris Laetitia" before they turn to the Congregation of Clergy. 

"Variations in the perception of moral teaching"

"Bishop Bonny showed ostentatious security by 'spoking for all who today want to be Christians' of, respect, and of variations' in the perception of moral teaching within the Church," said OsservatorioGender.

The Catholic lay organization Pro Familia sees the matter differently: The Church can not bless what God has forbidden. Bishop Bonny had already been made similarly worded statements in the past.  Nevertheless, he was sent by the Belgian Bishops' Conference as the only representative to Rome for the Synod of Bishops on the Family.  There must be a limit of endurance. The Catholic lay organization made it clear that it is not going to be satisfied with an evasive or noncommittal answer from Rome.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Picture: CR / Lannoo (Screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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