His Excellency Johan Bonny | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Antwerp | |
 | |
| Province | Belgium |
| Diocese | Antwerp |
| Installed | 4 January 2009 |
| Predecessor | Paul Van den Berghe |
| Previous post(s) | Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 20 July 1980 by Emiel-Jozef De Smedt |
| Consecration | 4 January 2009 by Godfried Danneels |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1955-07-10)10 July 1955 (age 69) |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Coat of arms |  |
Johan Jozef Bonny (born 10 July 1955) is aBelgian Catholic prelate who has served asBishop of Antwerp since 2009.
Johan Bonny was born inMoere (Gistel) on 10 July 1955, the oldest of five children born to Gustaaf Bonny and Marie-Jeanne Lootens, farmers. He attended primary school inEernegem and Moere, lower secondary school at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Gistel College and higher secondary education atSint-Janscollege inMeldert [nl].[1] In 1973 he entered theBruges seminary.[2]
On 20 July 1980, he was ordained priest by Emiel-Jozef De Smedt,Bishop of Bruges. Bonny helped found al'Arche community inMoerkerke[2] and remained attached to it as a priest.
He obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1976 from theKatholieke Universiteit Leuven, a bachelor's degree in theology in 1979 from theGrand Seminary in Bruges, and in 1981 a licentiate in theology from thePontifical Gregorian University inRome. De Smedt then appointed him archivist and professor at the Seminary in Bruges,[2] where he taught Church history,dogmatic theology,ecumenism and spirituality. At the same time, he worked with the renowned expert in Christian mysticsAlbert Deblaere [nl]. In 1988, he obtained a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian with a thesis on the Flemish mysticJohn of Ruysbroeck, entitled "Het ghemeyne leven in de werken van Jan van Ruusbroec" (English:The "common life" in the works of John of Ruysbroeck). In 1985Roger Vangheluwe appointed him director of the department of theology and, in 1991, spiritual director of the Bruges seminary.
On 5 June 1997 he was appointed collaborator to thePontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,[2] where he was responsible for ecumenical relations between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches, mainly in the Middle East.[2] He took part in theological dialogue with theOriental Orthodox Churches, including theCoptic,Syriac,Armenian andMalankara Orthodox Syrian Church) and theAssyrian Church of the East. He also maintained the relationship between the council and a number of communities or movements, such asTaizé andL'Arche.[2] While he was working in Rome, CardinalGodfried Danneels and the Belgian bishops appointed him rector of theBelgian Pontifical College in Rome to succeedWerner Quintens.[citation needed]
On 28 October 2008,Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bonny bishop of theDiocese of Antwerp. He chose as his bishop's mottoThe Lamb will be their shepherd (Latin:Agnus pascet illos). On 4 January 2009, Bonny was consecrated a bishop in theOur Lady Cathedral by Danneels, assisted by BishopsPaul Van den Berghe andRoger Vangheluwe[3] in presence of various religious and civil dignitaries, including CardinalWalter Kasper and ArchbishopsWim Eijk andAndré-Joseph Léonard.
In December 2014 Bonny called for Churchrecognition of gay relationships. He said: "There should be recognition of a diversity of forms. We have to look inside the Church for a formal recognition of the kind of interpersonal relationship that is also present in many gay couples. Just as there are a variety of legal frameworks for partners in civil society, one must arrive at a diversity of forms in the Church....The intrinsic values are more important to me than the institutional question. The Christian ethic is based on lasting relationships where exclusivity, loyalty, and care are central to each other." In September he wrote a letter in preparation for theSynod on the family that October. He stressed that the Church urgently needs to connect with contemporary society, showing more respect for homosexuality, divorced people and modern kinds of relationships.[4]
In January 2015 he received an award from çavaria, the association of Flemish LGBT organisations, for his call for acceptance. Bonny however said the award was unnecessary.[5]
Bonny said becausePope Francis has not voiced specific opposition to the Flemish bishops' decision to bless same-sex unions, he has taken that as tacit approval. Bonny said he had "two conversations" with Francis from which he inferred he knew that the Flemish bishops were "not going against the Pope".[6]
Bonny saidFiducia supplicans “helps us move forward.”[7]
| Ecclesiastical Province of Mechelen–Brussels | |
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