Life Challenges

Sr Metti Amirtham, SCC

Pastoral Courage in the Age of Synodality

On 19 Mar 2026, Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp, Belgium, published
a pastoral letter that demands our attention. This 11-page document, which is measured, pastoral, and rooted in scripture and canon law, carries a long-overdue force. Bishop Bonny announces his intention to create a non-sacramental ‘Pastor’ role equally accessible to men and women, and to ordain married men to the priesthood by 2028.