A Belgian bishop has caused controversy in the Catholic community for expressing his support of euthanasia for the elderly or infirm in certain cases, breaking from the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church, LifeSite News reports.
In an interview with La Libre Belgique, Bishop Johan Bonny was asked “So the Church could adopt different positions on the question of euthanasia?” The interviewer continued, “Does this mean that, in the eyes of the Church, the value of life varies according to the regions of the world?”
He answered, “Philosophy has taught me never to be satisfied with generic black and white answers… All questions deserve answers adapted to a situation: a moral judgment must always be pronounced according to the concrete situation, the culture, the circumstances, the context.”
After stating that he “constantly advocate[s] respect for life,” he directly contradicted the Church’s teaching that euthanasia is always intrinsically evil.
“I regret that, from the Vatican, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith affirms that euthanasia is always an intrinsic evil, whatever the circumstance.” He rejected this teaching, stating “It is too simple an answer that leaves no room for discernment. We will always oppose the desire of some to end a life too prematurely, but we must recognize that a request for euthanasia by a 40-year-old is not equivalent to that of a 90-year-old facing an incurable disease.”
“We need to learn to better define concepts and distinguish situations,” he argued.
Bishop Bonny also conducts same-sex blessings, an act that is up for discussion at the three-week Synod on Synodality currently happening at the Vatican. He has claimed in the past that Pope Francis approves of this, something that could come to light amid the gathering.
In the last couple of days, Dr. Taylor Marshall reported that Pope Francis said that more than one person could be blessed at the same time, “which in a way just opens the door for there to be a same-sex blessing in a church,” but avoids outright blessing the same-sex union.
