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Pope Should Excommunicate Holocaust-Denying Bishop Williamson

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It's interesting that at no time during the Nuremberg war crimes trials, not one Nazi denied that the genocide of the Jews (or the scope of it) took place. Many said they were merely "following orders", quite different from denying that it happened. In fact, it is conceding that it did happen. Don't point the finger at the Jews or "their cronies" for the 6 million figure. That was the Nazis' own figure (the Germans were meticulous record keepers, their abundant and detailed files having survived the war to this day). It was the figure that was cited by Eichmann, who was in a position to know. Hitler made clear his intentions in a speech on January 30, 1939, the "annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe." Then there are the minutes from the Wannsee conference of top Nazi officials in which they laid out their plans for genocide. I won't waste my time further on Holocaust deniers, because giving them the benefit of a response is similar to arguing with someone who, for example, believes that the earth is flat.
I would like to respond, however, to the fool who said that many of the concentration camp inmates died of diseases such as typhus. I ask, would Anne Frank and others like her have died of typhus had they been left alone and given a chance - like your beloved Polish father - to fend for themselves outside the confines of a murder factory?

Susan of IN 9:16PM February 05, 2009

Pope Benedict checkmated himself with this crazy bishop move.
If he pleads ignorance of the Lefebvrist anti-Semitic smell then he condemns himself as either a fool or a liar: ten minutes on the web gives you the odour and Benedict has spent a considerable proportion of his career immersed in Catholic power machinations – more often than not, sitting in the cockpit.
If Benedict pleads pastoral healing then he condemns himself as either a fool or a sympathiser. His invitation has given oxygen to hate-mongering lies of the worst kind – a sin several orders of magnitude worse than the internal Catholic power play that precipitated the original excommunication.
The chief shepherd opened the gate to wolves on January 21. It’s still open. He is morally and politically crippled – he must resign or be sacked.

Peter Robinson 7:33PM February 05, 2009

Pope Benedict is the right man at the right time - God's time. Thank God for Pope Benedict! He has shown mercy for these wayward bishops. I am glad he lifted the excommunications! I disagree with Bishop Williamsons Holocaust views and hope he recants them. I also hope these bishops will come to a complete accord with the Pope which will eventually bring them into full communion with the Holy Catholic Church.

Joe of PA 5:56PM February 05, 2009

Cricitisms of Bonnie Erbe or any other journalists writing on the issues raised by Williamson's Holocaust denial are misguided. The non-Catholic world cannot be expected to understand the nuances of Church politics and Ecclesiatic law. What we can see is that a bishop who was brought back under the authority of the Vatican has gone public on Swedish TV as a Holocaust denier. Williamson's reinstatement may not have had to do with the Holocaust, but his public statements made Holocaust denial an issue for the Pope. Journalists should not be cricized for a lack of precision or inaccuracies in describing the Pope's steps & missteps that got us to this point or the meaning of terms about Church legalities. They are right on about the level of outrage & trouble that Williamson is causing the Church about a very important moral issue to Christians & Jews. The Pope has let Williamson know that he cannot function as a Roman Catholic bishop unless & until he retracts his views as a Holocaust denier. This is the right thing to do and Erbe is correct in calling for stern action fro the Pope. Williamson will either meet the Pope's conditions or not be allowed to call himself a Catholic Bishop. This is a fascinating confrontation that can potentially be very instructive about the moral authority of the Pope & the Catholic Church. Inadvert as this controversy may have been for the Vatican, the Pope must act in a way that shows clearly that the beliefs of Holocaust deniers are inadmissable within the Catholic faith.

Jill Kerper Mora of CA 5:41PM February 05, 2009

I meant to write Benedict XVI is nothing but a friend of the Jews as regards his past conduct and statements, which was also true of John Paul II.

Mike of OH 5:13PM February 05, 2009

This article is incorrect on several points. First of all, Pope Benedict never "rehabilitated" this "bishop," who for the past twenty years was not even regarded as a member of the Catholic Church at any level at all. The pope is trying to reach out to the million-plus Catholics who belong to the Society of St. Pius X, and trying to avoid the devolution of the group into an entirely separate religion. The pope's gesture was one of peace, and has nothing to do with the Holocaust. Anybody with any intelligence who has been paying attention will know Benedict XVI is anything but a friend of the Jews.
This is irresponsible and ill-informed reporting, and this columnist has been lazy in conducting her research.

Mike of OH 5:08PM February 05, 2009

These last two comments are shameful:
1) It is the Isreali Government (not "the Jews") who waged that hateful war in Gaza and we must not fotget the shameful behaviour of the terrorists who contributed to the horrors
2)"one controversial statement"; Rev Williamson's views are simply WRONG-have you seen what he writes about women and education? Have you seen how he describes Blessed John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II? The prodigal came home practicing his speech (I have sinned), Rev Williamson offers no apology....yet!

Gerry 4:28PM February 05, 2009

The jewish people are not the only people in the world that sufferd during ww2, but only the jews who keep crying about it and sucking up all kind of help from the west,balck mailing goverments and people to go and kill women and children in Gaza.

Sam herz of NY 4:27PM February 05, 2009

What's the difference between being excommunicated [which Williamson already is] and being permanently excommunicated?

mgyea of MI 3:32PM February 05, 2009

We are not talking here about misstatements or lack of information about the Holocaust by anyone connected with the Pius X Society or the Vatican. The Church Hierarchy consists of highly educated, well informed men and so does the “rebel Catholic priest” fraternity, whose initials are SSPX. It so happens that Pius X was the Pope during WW 1. The so-called Great War served as the baptism-under-fire for many Nazi and SS leaders, including Hitler and Himmler, who later blamed Germany’s defeat on the Jews. As a matter of fact, as if to underscore the “spiritual” importance of this war to the Nazi leadership veterans, the SS-Officers wore a Lance Corporals chevron on the right sleeve of their Nazi uniforms. In my opinion the truth is simple, but very sad that Christ’s injunction: “Amate Deum et hominem…” is being perverted by people who profess to follow Him, thus furthering the neo-Nazi agenda.

Al v. Baehr of DC 3:31PM February 05, 2009