Bishop of Antwerp Johan Bonny announced that he was going to ordained priests of married priests. He referred to his conscience – and synodity.
Bishop Johan Bonny is 1 of the more progressive Belgian bishops. Hierarch has been representing a hard improvement course for years. With large approval, he followed the advancement of the German Synodal Way. A fewer years ago, he said that Rome must realize that Germanie (as he expressed it) has a very logical and consistent way of thinking, which is why they are not satisfied with all kinds of Italian runs. In this way, he referred to taking further steps from the already introduced progressive changes in the Church.
Now the hierarch presented a plan to sanctify married men as priests. As he said, he would do anything to bring married priests into his diocese by 2028. He presented his plans in a shepherd's letter published on Thursday. He said that he would personally guarantee that the chosen men were given the essential theological education. "This preparation will be transparent, but discreet, far from the media" he wrote. "The next 2 years will besides service to establish appropriate communication and to make appropriate arrangements with both the Belgian Episcopal Conference and the Vatican, so that we can learn from each other." According to the bishop, the ordination of married priests became a "issue of conscience", which reinforced the synodical discussion.
According to the bishop in his diocese, there are practically no longer men who would like to be priests and who are not married. The gap is filled by abroad priests, but these are incapable to guarantee the fulfilment of pastoral needs. "They come to aid us, not to replace us," he said. As he emphasized, there are besides Catholic priests in Antwerp or Catholic priests who converted from Protestantism – and specified priests have wives. That's why it's illogical for others not to have them.
Bishop Johan Bonny added that the introduction of ordination to married people in Antwerp would be the fulfillment of the Synod results on Synodality.
Consecrations for married people were discussed between 2018 and 2019 in connection with the Amazon Synod. Pope Francis did not decide to introduce specified a solution, although German-speaking bishops and Latin American bishops sought it. It is believed that Francis wanted to do this, but he was stopped by the intervention of the "emerged" Pope Benedict XVI, who announced a text criticizing the ordination of the married.
Bishop Bonny's plans may be shocking, but they are not unrealistic. In 2022 it was the bishops in Belgium who announced the decision to bless same-sex couples. The Holy See accepted this in silence and 1 year later Francis announced “Fiducia supplicans”.
Sources: Katholisch.de, PCh24.pl
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