10 Facts About Johan Bonny

Johan Jozef Bonny was born on 10 July 1955 and is a Belgian Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Antwerp since 2009.

Johan Bonny was born in Moere on 10 July 1955, the oldest of five children born to Gustaaf Bonny and Marie-Jeanne Lootens, farmers.

Johan Bonny obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1976 from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, a bachelor's degree in theology in 1979 from the Grand Seminary in Bruges, and in 1981 a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Johan Bonny maintained the relationship between the council and a number of communities or movements, such as Taize and L'Arche.

Johan Bonny chose as his bishop's motto The Lamb will be their shepherd.

On 4 January 2009, Johan Bonny was consecrated a bishop in the Our Lady Cathedral by Danneels, assisted by Bishops Paul Van den Berghe and Roger Vangheluwe in presence of various religious and civil dignitaries, including Cardinal Walter Kasper and Archbishops Wim Eijk and Andre-Joseph Leonard.

In December 2014 Johan Bonny called for Church recognition of gay relationships.

Johan Bonny stressed that the Church urgently needs to connect with contemporary society, showing more respect for homosexuality, divorced people and modern kinds of relationships.

Johan Bonny said because Pope Francis has not voiced specific opposition to the Flemish bishops' decision to bless same-sex unions, he has taken that as tacit approval.

Johan Bonny said he had "two conversations" with Francis from which he inferred he knew that the Flemish bishops were "not going against the Pope".