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In sweeping critique, Vatican Synod father attacks Humanae Vitae—and even the notion of natural law
Life Site News ^ | September 11, 2015

Posted on 09/11/2015 8:06:17 PM PDT by ebb tide

ANTWERP, Belgium, September 11, 2015

-- In a sweeping critique of Catholic teaching, Belgian Bishop Johan Bonny, who will participate in the Ordinary Synod on the Family next month, has attacked not only the Church’s teaching against contraception but even the very notion of the natural law.

In a contribution for the recent German book, Zerreißprobe Ehe, published by Herder Verlag, the bishop of Antwerp makes a strong critique of the 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae and questions the Church's understanding of sexuality. He also criticizes the natural law as a moral foundation because it describes certain acts as good or bad independently of one's personal life history and biography.

Bonny claims in his essay, which is entitled "The Synod of Bishops on the Family - Expectations of a Diocesan Bishop," that the encyclical Humanae Vitae lacked the consensus of the bishops and therefore immediately caused "tensions, conflicts and breaches.” He regrets that the Church does not give more space for "the individual conscience" of the faithful with regard to the question of "methods of family planning and birth control," and says he hopes that the upcoming 2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family will correct this purported defect.

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"All constitutions and decrees of the Second Vatican Council, also the difficult ones, were finally accepted with a consensus. Of this kind of collegiality, there was little left three years later, when Humanae Vitae was published,” Bonny writes. “That the pope would make a judgment concerning the problems of 'population, family, and births' was foreseen by the Council. But that he would ignore the collegial striving for a greatest possible consensus, was not foreseen by the Council."

"This ecclesial policy has left behind a broad trace of tensions, conflicts and breaches. This split should not remain such."

Bishop Bonny also discusses in his article the question of homosexuality and the Church’s traditional rejection of homosexual acts. According to Bonny, "scientific progress allows us to modify this point of view. First of all, one knows that homosexuality exists also in the world of animals." With his reference to the animal world, Bonny tries to show that the natural instinct for heterosexuality, as put into nature by God, might not exist, after all.

Bonny also argues that "in our personalistic culture, the interdiction of homosexual relationships is regarded as an unacceptable discrimination: there shall be men and women who do not have the right to live out their sexuality, only because they do not live in the same manner as the great majority of the people live!"

Finally, Bonny claims the "externally induced suppression of the sexual practice" is the cause of ailments such as alcoholism, aggressivity and drug abuse.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: bonny; francis; heretics; sinnod
Kasper, Marx, Maradiaga, and Bonny are all invited to Francis' upcoming SinNod.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, however, has not been invited back.

1 posted on 09/11/2015 8:06:17 PM PDT by ebb tide
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To: BlatherNaut; piusv; Legatus; Wyrd bið ful aræd; NKP_Vet; nanetteclaret; VermiciousKnid; ...

Ping


2 posted on 09/11/2015 8:09:02 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: ebb tide

The evil one gives many excuses to live in sin. God gives one great reason to live in grace. Rationalizing sin doesn’t change the sin, only comforts the sinner.


3 posted on 09/11/2015 8:32:51 PM PDT by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: ebb tide

Cannibalism exists in the natural world...does that mean the Bishop condones that?


4 posted on 09/11/2015 8:51:41 PM PDT by MSF BU (Support the troops: Join Them.)
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To: ebb tide
Kasper, Marx, Maradiaga, and Bonny are all invited to Francis' upcoming SinNod.

And Cupich, too. Has Elton John received his invite yet?

5 posted on 09/11/2015 9:00:30 PM PDT by BlatherNaut
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To: ebb tide

The first principle of the natural law is a vommand to act. DO good and avoid evil.


6 posted on 09/11/2015 9:16:36 PM PDT by amihow
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To: ebb tide

“Nihil sub sole ovum.”
“There is nothing new under the sun.”


7 posted on 09/11/2015 9:17:10 PM PDT by pke
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To: ebb tide

How do heretics like this guy rise to the level of a bishopric?


8 posted on 09/11/2015 9:22:03 PM PDT by Robwin
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To: Robwin

He is a Belgian and a liberal.


9 posted on 09/11/2015 10:46:31 PM PDT by RobbyS (quotes)
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To: MSF BU

Of course it means that. Logically.

But these termites always deny the logical consequences of their positions, until the people have been softened up a little more.


10 posted on 09/12/2015 1:03:15 AM PDT by Arthur McGowan (Beau Biden's funeral, attended by Bp. Malooly, Card. McCarrick, and Papal Nuncio, Abp. Vigano.)
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To: Robwin

Because “the system” cares nothing about virtue, or the teaching of the Church. “The system” is all about sex (with each other) and ability to raise money (from rich Catholic suckers).


11 posted on 09/12/2015 1:04:40 AM PDT by Arthur McGowan (Beau Biden's funeral, attended by Bp. Malooly, Card. McCarrick, and Papal Nuncio, Abp. Vigano.)
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To: ebb tide

Can’t diss humanae vitae without dissing natural law. That’s all


12 posted on 09/12/2015 1:07:06 AM PDT by stanne
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To: ebb tide
Cardinal Raymond Burke, however, has not been invited back.

Telling, no? And the viewpoint of Bonny, as reported, seems to indicate he has dropped down into the rabbit-hole of moral relativism, from which escape is nearly as impossible as from a black hole. We have to pray for all of them.
13 posted on 09/12/2015 5:19:57 AM PDT by Montana_Sam (Truth lives.)
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To: Montana_Sam
We have to pray for all of them.

And pray for the poor souls deceived by wolves in clerical garb.

14 posted on 09/12/2015 8:06:40 AM PDT by BlatherNaut
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