De Smedt then appointed him archivist and professor at the Seminary in Bruges,[2] where he taught Church history, dogmatic theology, ecumenism and spirituality.

[citation needed] On 28 October 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bonny bishop of the Diocese of Antwerp.

On 4 January 2009, Bonny was consecrated a bishop in the Our Lady Cathedral by Danneels, assisted by Bishops Paul Van den Berghe and Roger Vangheluwe[3] in presence of various religious and civil dignitaries, including Cardinal Walter Kasper and Archbishops Wim Eijk and André-Joseph Léonard.

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.

He stressed that the Church urgently needs to connect with contemporary society, showing more respect for homosexuality, divorced people and modern kinds of relationships.

[5] Bonny said because Pope Francis has not voiced specific opposition to the Flemish bishops' decision to bless same-sex unions, he has taken that as tacit approval.