The bishop of Antwerp, Belgium, Johan Bonny, has begun training several married men with the intention of ordaining them as priests in 2028. The project, publicly announced in March, has advanced as the prelate seeks the necessary authorization from Rome to carry out the ordinations.
In an interview given to La Libre Belgique, Bonny confirmed that the candidates have been selected and are receiving theological and pastoral preparation. He also revealed that in June he personally presented his plans to two cardinals of the Curia, who, according to his account, committed to discussing the matter with Pope Leo XIV.
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«Necessity compels me»
The bishop justifies the initiative due to the shortage of priests in Flanders. «Necessity compels me», he declared to the Belgian newspaper. According to the data provided by the bishop, the diocese of Antwerp has fewer than 70 priests under the age of 70, and nearly two-thirds come from abroad.
The lack of clergy is also reflected in sectors that previously had specific priestly attention. Bonny states that the diocese no longer has priests assigned exclusively to hospitals, youth movements, or schools, while only one of the five prisons in the province of Antwerp retains a permanent chaplain.
The bishop acknowledges the contribution of foreign priests, but rejects the idea that their arrival could become the ordinary response to the lack of local vocations. This diagnosis was one of the arguments he used in March to present his intention to promote the ordination of married men.
Two cardinals would bring the proposal to Leo XIV
In June, Bonny traveled to Rome and held meetings with Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, and with Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.
«I explained to them, with figures, that Flanders had exhausted its reserves», he recounted. According to Bonny, the two cardinals responded that they would address the matter with Leo XIV. For the moment, no authorization from the Holy See for the project has been publicly communicated.
The issue of married priests had previously been discussed among the Belgian bishops and during the last ad limina visit carried out under the pontificate of Francis. The archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and president of the Belgian Episcopal Conference, Msgr. Luc Terlinden, has clarified, however, that the concrete plan to move forward with these ordinations corresponds to Bonny.
The candidates are already in formation
The bishop of Antwerp has not waited for the dialogue with Rome to conclude before beginning the preparation. Several married men have been selected and are already receiving theological and pastoral formation, with a program comparable to that of candidates for the priesthood.
Bonny assures that the process is being carried out «in a transparent but discreet manner, away from the media spotlight». The requirements are similar to those established for married candidates for the permanent diaconate: being at least 35 years old, having the consent of the wife, maintaining a stable family life, and not having young children.
Last March, the prelate had announced that he would do «everything possible» to ordain married men as priests before 2028. Six months later, the project is no longer limited to a statement of intentions: the potential candidates are being prepared while awaiting Rome’s response.