Pope reprieves Holocaust-denying excommunicated Bishop
Pope Benedict XVI has reprieved four excommunicated bishops, one of whom is a Holocaust denier.Richard Williamson, a British bishop, was shown in a Swedish state TV interview this week saying that historical evidence "is hugely against 6 million Jews having been deliberately gassed."Let's go to the videotape to see what Williamson said, and then we'll return to the JPost article. By the way, I first saw a reference to the video from NY Nana via Little Green Footballs, but when I clicked on that link, I was told that it was not available in my country....
Williamson has said that only 200,000-300,000 Jews died during World War II and that gas chambers were a fiction.
He has also endorsed the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a notorious anti-Semitic forgery used since the late 19th century to fuel anti-Jewish violence, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Williamson is one of four bishops, all members of the Society of Saint Pius X, which rebelled against the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
Jewish leaders, including Rome Chief Rabbi Ricardo Di Segni, have urged Benedict not to lift the ban.
Unfortunately, all of the usual characters are making excuses for the Pope's outrageous acceptance of Bishop Williamson.
The American Jewish Committee's director of Interreligious Affairs, Rabbi David Rosen, said that "while the Vatican's reconciliation with the SSPX [Society of Saint Pius X] is an internal matter of the Catholic Church, the embrace of an open Holocaust denier is shameful, a serious blow for Jewish-Vatican relations, and a slap in the face for the historic efforts of Pope John Paul II, who following his predecessors, made such remarkable efforts to eradicate and combat anti-Semitism.Maybe. But coming on the heels of the outrageous characterization of Gaza as a 'concentration camp' by the head of the Vatican Council for Peace and Justice, one can only wonder whether the German-born Pope is looking to set back Catholic-Jewish relations by 65 years.
"I am sure that the lifting of the excommunication was not an affirmation by the Church of Holocaust denial. However, the failure to take into consideration his outrageous opinions is deplorable. Williamson should not have been included in this embrace," Rosen said.
Father David Neuhaus, professor of Bible at Bethlehem University, said on Saturday evening that the lifting of the excommunications had nothing to do with the "odious views" held by some of the bishops.
"Rather the pope has a burning desire to put an end to the schism in the Church. Discussion is going inside the Church regarding the pope's attempt to bring back into the fold ultra ultra conservatives who never accepted the reforms of Vatican II and were illicitly consecrated. There are those in the Church he feel that the pope is humiliating himself for men unrepentant of their views."
...
Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said Williamson's views had no impact on the decision to lift the excommunication decree.
The pope's decision by no means implies "sharing [Williamson's] ideas or his comments, which will be judged on their own," the ANSA news agency quoted Lombardi as saying.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:10 AM
6 Comments:
It is with sadness that I'm am now turning my back on Israel. I have been a strong advocate up until now.
You are a hater and a hypocrit. Enjoy your just desserts.
Buh bye, Bo. We don't need you. Never have.
The Church's behavior is not driven by moral principle but by politics of the crudest and most cynical kind. The Church talks of repentance for centuries of anti-Semitic preaching and hate but then with its actions, it does the exact opposite. And for Jews, actions speak far louder than words.
As I'd said before in another thread, this action is yet another example of why I'm an EX-Catholic (now a Protestant).
Holocaust-denying bishops; some bishops who aided and abetted the post-WW2 escapes of Nazis to South America; bishops and cardinals who for decades covered up for many priest pedophiles; bishops and cardinals adopting appeasement positions concerning global Islamofascism; bishops and cardinals looking the other way as Catholics and other Christians are persecuted in Muslim nations.
There's much room for the Catholic Church to look to it's own massive moral failings rather than commit another by failing in it's moral duty to support the people and state of Israel.
The people and state of Israel have many firm friends in the Christian world. We are to be found mostly in Protestant faiths and organizations.
Captain.H said...
As I'd said before in another thread, this action is yet another example of why I'm an EX-Catholic (now a Protestant).
----------------------------------
Out of the fire, into the frying pan.
:)
Thanks for the hat tip, Carl,
What a hateful liar he is. I am saddened to see what he spews.
I wonder if the current Israeli government has the courage to disinvite him?
We can only pray that the election on 10 February will bring Israel a new government that puts Israel first, and not world opinion.
Post a Comment
<< Home