Controversial Antwerp bishop expands on his idea of ordaining married men and shares his thoughts on women
Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp has proposed a timeline to begin ordaining married men as priests by 2028 to address severe clergy shortages. The diocese currently faces a critical decline in active priests, with fewer than 100 remaining and many over the age of 75. Bonny argues that the current shortage forces priests to focus on administrative tasks rather than pastoral care, necessitating a change in discipline. The proposal is framed as a concrete implementation of the recent global synodal process initiated by Pope Francis.
4 days ago
Does the Synod of Bishops permit married clergy and women’s roles?
Yes—but with an important clarification: the Synod of Bishops does not “permit” new kinds of ordination or redefine doctrine by itself. It is a consultative process in which bishops (and other participants) discern, discuss, and make proposals; ultimately, authoritative decisions belong to the Roman Pontiff. Within that framework, the Synod’s recent documents both acknowledge existing practice involving married clergy and ask for wider implementation of women’s participation in roles permitted by Canon Law.
The Synod’s teaching materials explicitly recognize that priests who are married exist within the Catholic Church, for example in various contexts:
So, if your question is whether the Synod “permits” married clergy: the Synod’s own documents affirm and include married ordained priests as part of Catholic ministry, rather than treating them as something to be excluded.
On women’s roles, the Synod’s materials are strongly in favor of greater participation:
Several magisterial texts used in the Synod’s context insist on the equal dignity of women and men and call for women’s fuller involvement:
In the final document of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly, the Synod explicitly addresses women’s participation and leadership:
The same Synod passage also states that women’s access to diaconal ministry is still under discernment:
This is the most direct statement in your provided Synod sources about a potential extension of women’s ordained-ministry roles—and notably it frames it as ongoing discernment, not a settled permission.
From the sources you provided, what is clear is:
What the sources do not explicitly provide (in the excerpts given) is a statement that the Synod has authorized or “permitted” women’s access to priestly ordination. On your question as asked, the strongest, sourced answer is therefore: women’s participation should be expanded where Canon Law already provides opportunities, and diaconal ministry is under continued discernment.
If you tell me what you mean by “women’s roles” (e.g., leadership in parishes, preaching, catechesis, governance roles, or ordained ministry), I can match the Church teaching more precisely to that category using the same sources.