Bonny is the Belgian bishops’ lead on sexual abuse and a staunch advocate for better care for all Belgian victims, not just those abused by Catholic clergy and staff.
He has proposed to establish a united centre for all victims in Antwerp.
On Flemish television on 23 February, he divulged that he had written to the Pope to ask for a “rearrangement” of his duties and said he was “ready to do anything, even if it means I have to put aside my task in Antwerp”.
“The majority of my time already goes to the victims, which is difficult to combine with my duties as bishop,” he said.
He spoke after a stormy session at a parliamentary commission on sexual abuse in the Church, where he countered sharp questions from deputies by complaining he was tired of so much criticism when the Church had reformed far more than public entities.
Bonny appears to have fallen victim to his direct way of speaking. His interview was reported as an offer to resign.
The “rearrangement” he requested could be done by appointing an auxiliary bishop to help while he devoted more time to abuse victims, he wrote in a letter addressed to his “good friends” in the diocese.
“It is not my desire or intention to let go of Antwerp diocese,” he wrote. “Hopefully I have been able to provide some clarification for you.”
Belgian victims of sexual abuse were not impressed by his comments. Meeting a day after the commission session, they rejected his idea for a new centre and focussed instead on Pope Francis’s planned visit to Belgium in September, saying they want to meet the Pope and have one second of speaking time for each of the 1,873 known victims.
“He should just keep quiet for those 34 minutes and 31 seconds and listen to us,” victim spokeswoman Linda Opdebeeck told Katholiek Nieuwsblad.