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Antwerp Bishop Urges Vatican to Allow Married Priests

3/21/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp urged the Vatican to allow the ordination of married men as priests by 2028 to address clergy decline.
He said the Church must act urgently, declaring that "Any delay comes across as an excuse."
Bonny's proposal challenges centuries of celibacy upheld by the Church.
His diocese increasingly relies on married priests from Eastern Europe and the Middle East, while the Vatican has not yet responded.

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Story summary

Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp urged the Vatican to allow the ordination of married men as priests by 2028 to address clergy decline.
He said the Church must act urgently, declaring that "Any delay comes across as an excuse."
Bonny's proposal challenges centuries of celibacy upheld by the Church.
His diocese increasingly relies on married priests from Eastern Europe and the Middle East, while the Vatican has not yet responded.