Thursday, November 26, 2009

Opinion

Pope Should Excommunicate Holocaust-Denying Bishop Williamson

February 05, 2009 11:30 AM ET | Bonnie Erbe | Permanent Link | Print

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog.

Virtually all the good Pope John Paul II did to renew and reinvigorate Catholic-Jewish relations has been undone by his hand-picked successor, Pope Benedict XVI. When it comes to being tone deaf on Catholic-Jewish relations, this pope wins Olympic gold.

Many Jews were leery of his 2005 selection as pope, due to Benedict's membership in the Hitler Youth. They were much relieved when it was learned he was never an avid fan:

When Ratzinger turned 14 in 1941, as required by law he joined the Hitler Youth. According to his biographer John Allen he was not an enthusiastic member. He requested to be taken off the rolls and reportedly refused to attend a single meeting.

Nonetheless skepticism has remained in many parts of the American Jewish community and so it was with some degree of "We told you so" that Jews lashed out at Pope Benedict for his rehabilitation of a Holocaust-denying bishop:

JERUSALEM (CNN) — Jewish officials in Israel and abroad are outraged that Pope Benedict XVI has decided to lift the excommunication of a British bishop who denies that Jews were killed in Nazi gas chambers.

The pope's decree, issued Saturday, brings back into the Catholic Church's fold Bishop Richard Williamson and three other bishops who belong to the Society of Saint Pius X.

Now that the world, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (good for her!) have made plain the complete insensitivity, even provocation, of the pope's actions, he's taken one step in response:

Responding to global outrage, especially in Pope Benedict XVI's native Germany, the Vatican on Wednesday called on a recently rehabilitated bishop to take back his statements denying the Holocaust.

But even if Bishop Williamson follows orders, that won't be enough to quell Jewish outrage. Williamson should be permanently excommunicated and Pope Benedict should apologize for his insensitivities. Nothing less will restore the two communities to the peace Benedict has undone.

Tags: Pope Benedict XVI | religion | Holocaust | Vatican

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Reader Comments

Christ to Jews: "You are of your father, the devil"

The Church is already Jew-enslaved, having falsely proclaimed that Jews have no need of Christ.

Jewess Orders Christian Permanently Excommunicated.

Even for a Jewess, this is particularly obnoxious.

Re: "even if Bishop Williamson follows orders, that won't be enough to quell Jewish outrage"

- True. As if Jews could ever be satisfied.

Re: "Williamson should be permanently excommunicated"

- You ignorant Jewess cow.

Even if the Holyco$t were real, denying it would have nothing to do with communion.

But what can one expect in ZOG-USA?

Holohoax

Pope can only excomunicate anybody based on his denial of a Catholic dogma. Holohoax is not a Catholic dogma and never will be. It's just a bunch of jew lies, just like verythijg else they say.

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About Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and hosts PBS's weekly news analysis program, To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbe. She also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service.

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