Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp. Photo: Cathedral of Our Lady, website Bishop Johan Bonny confirmed on July 25 that he was withdrawing from the high-profile role of key man on abuse, citing an excessive workload that he said was taking a toll on his health.
His departure leaves the Belgian Church scrambling to find a successor before Pope Francis’ September 26-29 visit, which is expected to include a private meeting with abuse survivors.
The 69-year-old bishop decided to step back from the role after he appealed unsuccessfully to Rome for an auxiliary bishop to help him oversee his Diocese of Antwerp, which serves around 1.2 million Catholics.
In a letter published July 1, Bishop Bonny said the Vatican had denied his request partly because it would upset the balance between French-speaking and Flemish-speaking bishops within Belgium’s bishops’ conference.
Bishop Bonny said: “The policy, the media, the negotiations… It’s a very big task and I have to combine that with caring for a large diocese like that of Antwerp”. I no longer have the strength for that total sum. I have to reduce that.”
He told Het Nieuwsblad that the work had taken an emotional toll.
“It’s not just about working hours, but it has an immediate personal impact. It’s of a different order than all the other work you do as a bishop,” he explained. “Even my doctor says, ‘Stop it, it’s destroying you.’”