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Pope condemns denial of Holocaust | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Pope Benedict XVI has told American Jewish leaders that any denial of the Holocaust is "intolerable", especially if it comes from a clergyman. | |
He made the comments during his first face-to-face talks with Jewish leaders since he lifted the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying bishop. | |
The Pope has said he was unaware that Bishop Richard Williamson had denied the full extent of the Holocaust. | |
Catholic-Jewish relations have soured over the controversy. | |
During his meeting, the Pope said "any denial or minimisation of this terrible crime is intolerable", especially from a priest. | |
"The hatred and contempt for men, women and children that was manifested in the Shoah (Holocaust) was a crime against humanity," he was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. | |
"This should be clear to everyone, especially to those standing in the tradition of the Holy Scriptures..." | |
The Pope also confirmed to the meeting of 60 Jewish leaders that he was still planning to visit Israel. | |
'Extraordinary' | |
The Pope is under pressure to take a strong stand against anti-Semitism. | The Pope is under pressure to take a strong stand against anti-Semitism. |
Before the meeting, one of the Jewish leaders, Abraham Foxman, told the BBC: "I would hope that he would not only talk about the Holocaust, not only condemn Holocaust denial as anti-Semitism, but I think he would say Bishop Williamson has had enough time to publicly recant and disown and disavow his views; and since he hasn't, he's back to be[ing] excommunicated." | |
Bishop Williamson was among four ultraconservative bishops - all members of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X (SSPX) - whose excommunications were lifted last month, in a bid by the Pope to end a schism that began in 1988 when they were ordained without Vatican permission. | Bishop Williamson was among four ultraconservative bishops - all members of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X (SSPX) - whose excommunications were lifted last month, in a bid by the Pope to end a schism that began in 1988 when they were ordained without Vatican permission. |
Bishop Williamson has not recanted his remarksBut it was then revealed that Bishop Williamson, who was born in Britain, had given an interview to a Swedish television programme last November, in which he disputed that six million Jews had died at the hands of the Nazis, and claimed that none had died in gas chambers. | Bishop Williamson has not recanted his remarksBut it was then revealed that Bishop Williamson, who was born in Britain, had given an interview to a Swedish television programme last November, in which he disputed that six million Jews had died at the hands of the Nazis, and claimed that none had died in gas chambers. |
He said: "I believe there were no gas chambers," and insisted that up to "300,000 Jews perished in Nazi concentration camps but none of them by gas chambers". | He said: "I believe there were no gas chambers," and insisted that up to "300,000 Jews perished in Nazi concentration camps but none of them by gas chambers". |
The Pope said he had not known about Bishop Williamson's views - a stance that Elena Curti, deputy editor of the Tablet Catholic newspaper, told the BBC was "extraordinary". | The Pope said he had not known about Bishop Williamson's views - a stance that Elena Curti, deputy editor of the Tablet Catholic newspaper, told the BBC was "extraordinary". |
They were "well known, it seems, to virtually everybody else", she said. | They were "well known, it seems, to virtually everybody else", she said. |
Bishop Williamson has since apologised for the controversy he has caused, and has been removed from his post as the head of a Roman Catholic seminary in Argentina. | Bishop Williamson has since apologised for the controversy he has caused, and has been removed from his post as the head of a Roman Catholic seminary in Argentina. |
But he has refused to recant his remarks, despite an order from the Vatican to do so - merely saying he will re-examine the evidence on the Holocaust. | But he has refused to recant his remarks, despite an order from the Vatican to do so - merely saying he will re-examine the evidence on the Holocaust. |