Vatican Demands Holocaust Denier Publicly Recant

[Are_grits_groceries]

Source: NYT

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

Late last month, the pope revoked the excommunication of four schismatic bishops, including British-born Richard Williamson, who in an interview broadcast last month denied the existence of the Nazi gas chambers.

A statement issued on Wednesday by the Vatican Secretariat of State said that Bishop Williamson “must absolutely, unequivocally and publicly distance himself from his positions on the Shoah,” or Holocaust, which it said were “unknown to the Holy Father at the time he revoked the excommunication.”

The unsigned statement seemed a clear indication that the Vatican was facing an internal and external political crisis.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/world/europe/05pope.html?hp

[hedgehog]

1. I am less concerned about "Bishop" Williamson's outlandish statements

than by the turgid analysis of Judaism posted on the Society of Saint Pius X Web site. These people are full of hate.

http://www.sspx.org/Catholic_FAQs/catholic_faqs__theological.htm

[AngryOldDem]

4. They're equally concerning.

He's trying to reconcile SSPX, as well, as I'm sure you know.

I know he's not the most popular person here, but Christopher Hitchens has a very succinct essay in the current Newsweek about Benedict's hard-right turn. If Benedict continues, he will set back Judeo-Christian relations by centuries.

Then again, we all knew what was coming with this pope, anyway.

[acmavm]

2. Apologize? I want to know why the guy's still a Bishop.

[Tempest]

3. The Vatican is responding to public pressure

They could care less about the Holocaust denier being in their ranks. Hell, the pope is a former Nazi Youth member.

All they want is the controversy to go away.

They should have thought of that BEFORE they brought him back into the fold.

[Ian David]

5. “unknown to the Holy Father at the time he revoked the excommunication.”

Infallible my ass.

[izquierdista]

7. Inflatable

The word is inflatable. The Pope is inflatable, as in full of hot air.

[TommyO]

6. How fucking convenient, demand a recant after restoring him to his position.