Belgian bishop Johan Bonny, the country’s main contact for Church abuse victims, has stepped down from his role, citing an overwhelming workload and health concerns. Bonny’s resignation comes weeks before Pope Francis’ visit to Belgium, potentially overshadowing the event with the ongoing abuse crisis. Bishop Bonny, 69, announced his resignation on 25 July, stating that Read more
A Belgian woman is suing the Catholic Church for gender discrimination after being denied entry into deaconate training. Veer Dusauchoit, 62, claims her exclusion from the programme is solely because she is a woman. “I want to train as a deacon because it interests me and I think that I will then have more tools Read more
A booklet arguing that “to abolish clericalism, we must abolish the clergy” has ignited controversy among Catholics in Belgium. The proposal was made in a booklet titled “Let’s return the Church to the People of God! Putting an end to clericalism,” authored by nine Catholics working in healthcare for the Diocese of Liège. The group Read more
The archbishop of Luxembourg says he thinks the matter of Church blessings for same-sex unions is not a settled matter. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has ruled against such blessings. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ made the comment in response to a question about Belgium’s Catholic bishops supporting blessings for unions of same-sex Read more
A group of young Belgian Catholics have written an open letter to the Apostolic Nuncio protesting the national synthesis of the synodal process in Belgium, saying it goes too far in questioning the “magisterium of the Church”. More than 200 young traditional-minded Belgians (aged 15-42) signed the letter saying certain issues, such as the ordination Read more