Calls For Pope To Quit After Williamson's Rehabilitation

by Erica Morris - Thursday 5th February 2009


The controversy over the Pope's decision to reverse the excommunication of a British bishop who denies the Holocaust stepped up a gear this week, with calls for Benedict XVI to resign.

Attacking the pontiff's ruling, eminent Catholic theologian Hermann Haering told the German daily newspaper Tageszeitung: "If the Pope wants to do some good for the church, he should leave his job. That would not be a scandal; a bishop has to relinquish his position at 75 years, a cardinal loses his rights at 80 years."

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The ongoing criticism led to a statement released by the Vatican yesterday, calling for Williamson to "unequivocally" recant his statements if he ever wishes to serve again as a cleric of the church. The statement also claimed Benedict XVI was unaware of the bishop's views at the time of the rehabilitation.

The continuing condemnation of the decision came as the bishop at the heart of the scandal issued an apology - not however for the offence caused to the Jewish community but for the embarrassment he's caused the Pope.

Richard Williamson - who as recently as last month declared on Swedish television, "I believe there were no gas chambers... I think that two to three hundred thousand Jews perished in Nazi concentration camps but none of them by gas chambers " - sent a letter of his own to Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, head of the Vatican office dealing with the Society of St Pius X.

Apologising for the backlash that followed his reinstatement, but not apologising for the comments that drew the criticism in the first place, he wrote: "Amidst this tremendous media storm stirred up by imprudent remarks of mine on Swedish television, I beg of you to accept ...my sincere regrets for having caused to yourself and to the Holy Father so much unnecessary distress and problems."

Meanwhile, the head of the Catholic Church in the UK has written to the Chief Rabbi to express his "dismay at the effect of the Vatican decree releasing from excommunication bishops consecrated illicitly". In a letter to Sir Jonathan Sacks, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor wrote: "I naturally deplore the comments made by the Englishman, Rev Williamson, in his denial of the full horror of the Holocaust. His statement and views have absolutely no place in the Catholic Church and its teaching."

And assuring the Chief of "our continued understanding and friendship", he added: "The lifting of the excommunication is only a first step towards reconciliation of the bishops concerned. None of them is yet able to exercise any office either as a priest or bishop in communion with the Catholic Church."

Thanking the cardinal "from the depths of my heart," Sir Jonathan wrote back: "Your dismay and understanding of the seriousness of Holocaust denial matches the feeling of many Jews around the world who believe that great damage has been done to Catholic Jewish relations."

He added: "We are cherished friends. Let us work together to ensure that the friendship between our faiths continues and deepens, becoming a source of hope to people of all faiths."

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