Belgian bishop hopes Church will formally recognize same-sex unions
English: Mgr. Bonny 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The bishop of Antwerp , Johan Bonny , gave an interview to the Belgian daily De Morgen on December 27, in which he suggested that the Catholic Church should find a way to “recognize” the relationship that exists between “holebi” couples, holebi being the Dutch acronym for “homosexual, lesbian and bisexual” persons. “Inside the Church, we must look for a formal recognition of the relational dimension that is also present in many ‘holebi’ couples. In the same way that in society there exists a diversity of legal frameworks for partners, there must be a diversity of forms of recognition in the Church,” he said. “The values contained (in these relationships) are more important to me than the institutional question. Christian ethics are grounded in durable relationships where exclusiveness, fidelity and mutual care have the central role,” he said. “Next to that, there is also openness to new life, or at least the responsibilit