Pope Benedict rehabilitated Saturday a traditionalist bishop who denies the Holocaust, despite warnings from Jewish leaders that it would seriously harm Catholic-Jewish relations and foment anti-Semitism.The Vatican said the pope issued a decree lifting the excommunication of four traditionalist bishops who were thrown out of the Roman Catholic Church in 1988 for being ordained without Vatican permission.
Andrew Sullivan has been all over this. He provided a link to this helpful compendium of the various statements of one Mr. Richard Williamson. Some of the real humdingers:
I believe that the historical evidence — the historical evidence — is hugely against six million Jews having been deliberately gassed in gas chambers as a deliberate policy of Adolph Hitler
[snip]
By lies, Judeo-Masonry brought about the first two World Wars.
[snip]
By lies, Judeo-Masonry is preparing for the Third World War. As the Depression of the 1930’s necessitated WWII, triggered for the US by the supposed treachery of the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, so we see all the conditions created for another much worse Depression in the US, with the supposed treachery of Arabs last year against the Twin Towers in New York already igniting American public opinion to go to war against Afghanistan and now Iraq.
[snip]
None of you believe that 9-11 is what it was presented to be. It was, of course, the two towers came down, but it was absolutely for certain not two airplanes which brought down those two towers. They were professionally demolished by a series of demolition charges from top to bottom of the towers.
Now, I don't believe in excommunication, period. I don't believe that people can be categorically excluded from the love of God. However, let us take as a given that excommunication is a valid means of executing God's will upon those who stray egregiously. Why is it that being ordained without the Vatican's permission is a grave enough sin to cut one off from communion with the Church, but denying the murder of 6 million Jews (among other ridiculous and ugly assertions) is not?
Via Upturned Earth:
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Bishop Richard Williamson’s views had no impact on the decision to lift the excommunication decree.This man is a bishop in the church, and his views on the Holocaust have no impact? Really? His extraordinary ordination is a weightier measure to the Pontiff than his views on Jews, Masons, gays, women and the perpetrators of 9/11? Really?
I am not Roman Catholic, and have far too much love for my many good friends who are to associate them with this. (Just as I would not like to be associated with the likes of certain Anglican archbishops.) But I cannot believe that the Vatican has any interest in reconciliation with the world's Jews after this decision.
Update: Commenter John below clarifies that Williamson is not a bishop in good standing, and so lacks the sacramental privileges of that office. While this mollifies me a wee bit, I am still not particularly impressed by the Vatican's approach to him, and think it could have done much more to condemn the particulars of his virulent belief system.
Update #2: I agree, on the whole, with Ross Douthat's take.
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Apparently I have to get on a new mailing list. I'm still waiting hear from the Elders of Zion...now the masons, too? And no one mentioned anything on Rosh Hashanah about the Third World War. Unless I missed it after they thanked the Sisterhood for sponsoring the Kiddush and Annette for the flower arrangements?
ReplyDeleteYou mean Annette, Bringer of God's Vengeance and Wielder of Zion's Wrath? She who laughs at the bodies of her fallen enemies, and who rains down hellfire upon those who oppose her minions? Whose anger is the storm and whose fury is the tidal wave?
ReplyDeleteShe makes lovely flower arrangements.
If you knew the Annette of whom I speak, you would know just how deeply funny your comment is.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that being ordained without the Vatican's permission is a grave enough sin to cut one off from communion with the Church, but denying the murder of 6 million Jews (among other ridiculous and ugly assertions) is not?
ReplyDeleteVery simple answer, sins of omission and commission. Excommunication is only for sins of commission.
So Williamson's statements are sins of omission? I have a hard time following that. We wasn't simply failing to do the right thing, he was actively spreading various poisonous untruths.
ReplyDeleteI can possibly countenance his return to communion with the church. I cannot understand how he is allowed to remain a bishop.
I can possibly countenance his return to communion with the church. I cannot understand how he is allowed to remain a bishop.
ReplyDeleteBut he's NOT a bishop (or even a priest) in good standing, and won't be able to become one until the SSPX is more fully reconciled to Rome. Many people think, moreover, that if a fuller reconciliation is achieved then Bp. Williamson will end up on the outside. Lifting the excommunication does not make it licit for him to ordain, dispense the sacraments, etc.