Italy

Pope criticised for plans to readmit holocaust-denying bishop

Article published on the 2009-02-03 Latest update 2009-02-03 16:31 TU

Benedict XVI in Washington, 17 April 2008.
(Photo: Reuters)

Pope Benedict XVI is coming under harsh criticism for his call to re-admit an English bishop who denied the holocaust, especially in Germany where this is a criminal offense.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel lashed out on Wednesday saying that “this should not be allowed to pass without consequences.”

“This is not just a matter, in my opinion, for the Christian, Catholic and Jewish communities in Germany but the pope and the Vatican should clarify unambiguously that there can be no denial and that there must be positive relations with the Jewish community overall,” she said.

Her comments come the same day that an inflammatory interview with eminent liberal Catholic theologian Herman Haering appeared in the German daily Tageszeitung.

“If the pope wants to do some good for the Church, he should leave his job,” the newspaper quotes Haering as saying.

This is not likely to happen, says correspondent Sabina Castelfranco in Rome.

“It is absolutely impossible for a pope to step down…. Not even when they are sick or very senile, it just cannot happen. Popes die, they don’t step down. This is a job for life,” Castelfranco told RFI.

“The pope is going to move ahead with this,” she said. “He believes that the schism that was created with this group 20 years ago needs to be resolved.”

 

Late last month, the pope lifted the excommunication on British bishop Richard Williamson who called evidence of the Nazi holocaust of Jews during World War II “lies”.

Williamson has not yet been readmitted to the Roman Catholic Church, but the pope’s declaration has opened the way, according to a top Vatican official.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, told the Catholic daily Avvenire that the pope’s decision dealt “exclusively” with the fact that the bishop had been ordained illegally by a maverick archbishop, and “had nothing to do” with Williamson’s remarks.