Quote of the Day

There should be recognition of a diversity of forms. We have to look inside the church for a formal recognition of the kind of interpersonal relationship that is also present in many gay couples. Just as there are a variety of legal frameworks for partners in civil society, one must arrive at a diversity of forms in the church. . . . The intrinsic values are more important to me than the institutional question. The Christian ethic is based on lasting relationships where exclusivity, loyalty, and care are central to each other.

Personally, I find that in the church more space must be given to acknowledge the actual quality of gay and lesbian couples; and such a form of shared-life should meet the same criteria as found in an ecclesiastical marriage. . . . And we have to acknowledge that such criteria can be found in a diversity of relationships and one needs to search for various models to give form to those relationships. [The male-female committed relationship] will continue to retain its own particular sacramental character and liturgical form. But this particularity does not have to be exclusive nor does it have to close the door on a diversity of relationships whose inner qualities the church can acknowledge. Indeed, we need to seek a formal recognition of the kind of relationship that exists between many gay and lesbian couples.

– Bishop Johan Bonny

Quoted in John A. Dick's article,
"Belgian Bishop Advocates Church Recognition of Gay Relationships"
National Catholic Reporter
December 30, 2014

Related Off-site Links:
In Historic First, Belgian Bishop Calls Church to Bless Lesbian & Gay Couples – Francis DeBernardo (Bondings 2.0, December 30, 2014).
Belgian Catholic Bishop Calls for Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships – Carol Kuruvilla (The Huffington Post, December 31, 2014).
Homosexual Relationships: Another Look – Bill Hunt (The Progressive Catholic Voice, September 8, 2012).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Marriage: "Part of What is Best in Human Nature"
• Rediscovering What Has Been Written on Our Hearts from the Very Beginning
• Quote of the Day – December 10, 2014
• An Australian Bishop’s “Radical” Call for Reform
• The Triumph of Love
• Beyond the Hierarchy: The Blossoming of Liberating Catholic Insights on Sexuality
• Trusting God's Generous Invitation
• The Many Manifestations of God's Loving Embrace