The Holocaust-denying Priest

Richard Williamson


One of my co-respondents, who often takes issue with my points, has challenged me to write about anti-Semitism that comes from non-Muslims-specifically Christians. That is a fair point, even though the article he was responding to was a report on anti-Semitism being stirred up in Venezuela by Hugo Chavez. Nonetheless, my critic has pointed out the case of a former Catholic Bishop who has come into conflict with the Vatican over his denial of the Holocaust.

Today I read in the media that German priests have demanded that ex-Bishop Richard Williamson, a British priest living in Argentina, be expelled from the Church after he has continued to make public statements denying the Holocaust. Williamson, who only recently was re-instated by Pope Benedict XVI, has caused a furor within the Church with his continuing comments.

Leaving aside the American argument of free speech (in certain European countries, Holocaust denial is a crime), this is something the Catholic Church does not need. Already in a crisis because of the modern scandals like the Vatican Bank scandal of the 1980s and the pedophilia issue, the Church does not need old memories of its relationship with Nazi Germany brought back up.

After Hitler took power in Germany in 1933 and began consolidating private organizations, such as youth groups, into government/party control, the Church, concerned over its continued ability to function in Germany, entered into a Concordat with Hitler by which the Church could continue to carry out its activities in exchange for exiting the political arena. As a result the Center Party, which was a Catholic political party was dissolved. In return, the Nazis abrogated the agreement before the ink was dry as they proceeded to harass the Catholic Church as much as the Protestant Churches.

In the ensuing years, the role and activity of the Vatican in speaking out against Germany's excesses, especially during the war when Rome was occupied, was a mixed bag at best. At war's end, many Nazi war criminals managed to get out of Germany and flee Europe using a pipeline assisted by some churches and priests.

Now comes some knucklehead priest who most recently has refused to take back his words and will "recant only if he can find the proof". (Does anyone have a flashlight?)

Apparently, the man is not well read for there are hundreds of thousands of books available he could read. He could also view the old films of what the Allies found when they reached the camps. Even I could describe what I saw when I visited Auschwitz in 1995. I walked among the ruins of the gas chamber and crematoria. I have also visited Buchenwald, Dachau and Sachsenhausen (though they were not actually killing camps for the Final Solution).

Better yet, Williamson could simply ask the Germans themselves. Germany, since the 1960s, has come to terms with its crimes, acknowledges them, commemorates the victims and educates its youth as to what happened so that it might never happen again.

Now comes this knucklehead who calls himself a priest and brings discredit to his Church. What should be done? Far be it from this Protestant to tell the Church what to do about anything. Words do indeed have consequences, however. Williamson's continued presence as a priest in the Catholic Church can only bring further embarrassment.