Richard Williamson, Holocaust-Denying Bishop, Will Review Evidence Before Changing His Mind

BERLIN — A bishop who faces a Vatican demand to recant his denial of the Holocaust said he would correct himself if he is satisfied by the evidence, but insisted that examining it "will take time," a German magazine reported Saturday.

Richard Williamson is one of four bishops from the ultraconservative Society of St. Pius X whose excommunication was lifted by the Vatican last month. The decision sparked outrage because Williamson had said in a television interview he did not believe any Jews were gassed during the Holocaust.

On Wednesday, the Vatican demanded that Williamson recant his denial before he can be admitted as a bishop into the Roman Catholic Church.

Williamson made clear he does not plan to comply immediately, and rejected a suggestion that he might visit the Auschwitz death camp, the weekly Der Spiegel reported.

"Since I see that there are many honest and intelligent people who think differently, I must look again at the historical evidence," the British bishop was quoted as saying.

"It is about historical evidence, not about emotions," he added, according to the report. "And if I find this evidence, I will correct myself. But that will take time."

The magazine suggested that he could make a personal visit to Auschwitz, set up by the Nazis in occupied Poland, which stands as the most powerful symbol of the Holocaust. More than 1 million people, mostly Jews, died there.

Williamson replied: "I will not go to Auschwitz," Der Spiegel said.

Der Spiegel said Williamson, who lives in Argentina, insisted on having questions faxed to him and sent his replies by e-mail. It said their authenticity was confirmed in a phone call by Williamson and a lawyer for the Society of St. Pius X.

Williamson has apologized to Pope Benedict XVI for having stirred controversy, but has not repudiated his comments, in which he also said only 200,000 to 300,000 Jews were killed during World War II and none was gassed.

"I was convinced that my comments were right on the basis of my research in the '80s," Der Spiegel quoted Williamson as saying. "I must now examine everything again and look at the evidence."

Comments

[hcoment]

06:26 PM on 02/17/2009

Holocaust-Denying?

The best way to verify that the holocaust really was happen as also to verify how many people was actually Holocaust is simply go to scientific evidence and determine how much equipment and time as also adequate circumstance is need to eliminate 6M peoples as also other factors and also the all 6M names have to be scientifically verify...

[Ergon]

09:10 PM on 02/16/2009

Lack of respect for those who believe a man walked on water from those who believe yahweh parted the waters for them and promised them a land. Cool.

[paulphotog]

07:50 PM on 02/11/2009

Mr Bishop:
The world awaits, holding its collective breath, for you to "review the evidence."

wtf? In case you didn't hear me WTF????????

And BTW, sir, can you tell us why the Vatican is withholding last year's video of you flapping bedsheets on the shores of Lake Como in hopes of triggering the aurora borealis?

[bugsbonzai]

05:53 PM on 02/09/2009

Wait. So the bishop needs ZERO physical evidence to believe in Jesus; he can take the foundation of his life work on "faith". And yet he denies the occurrence of an atrocity of which there is PLENTY of evidence. The man is messed up. This is the essence of why Richard Dawkins observes how faith is revered and gives people a free pass for anything they please and reason gets the shaft. Reason and logic should be held in higher esteem than faith; Williamson is living proof of it.

[timezone]

08:46 PM on 02/09/2009

Good points, bugs. How someone could deny the Holocaust happened needs more than a history lesson.

[laheek]

09:53 PM on 02/09/2009

Well, this bishop is just an other typical representative of the Catholic Church clergy way of thinking ... Denies the reality and takes as long as possible before revisiting the denial..

How long did it take to the catholic Church to acknowledge that Galileo was correct? ....more than 400 years

[AxelEric]

04:42 PM on 02/09/2009

It seems like a lot of you guys havent seen the interview

Here: A short trailer with a lot of Richard Williamsons crazy comments down at the bottom:
http://nyheter24.se/nyheter/utrikes/130727-omstridd-intervju-sands-trots-allt

Here is the one hour episod with english text:
http://svtplay.se/v/1426080/uppdrag_granskning/sspx_-_english_version

[MagisterLudi]

01:42 PM on 02/09/2009

chaos4700 posted:" fabricated nonsense about Ahmedinejad being a Holocaust denier? "
This exemplifies a total new category.
Those who deny that Holocaust denying is even happening! Nice!

A conference on Holocaust was put together by Ahmadinejad. "The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran describes the conference as a roll call of the world's most infamous Holocaust deniers - all delighted that Iran has given them the oxygen of publicity. " "Mr Ahmadinejad has repeatedly downplayed the extent of the Holocaust, describing it as a myth used to justify the existence of Israel." UK Prime Minister Tony Blair called the Holocaust conference "shocking beyond belief".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6172807.stm
Many Iranians must be wondering why they have the right to deny the Holocaust with impunity, but not to question their own leaders without risking jail, BBC correspondent says.

[bdaved]

02:21 PM on 02/09/2009

This is just spam from another post. That's not a very good way of making your point, whatever it is.

[MagisterLudi]

05:04 PM on 02/09/2009

Don't read it.

[Dwjackson]

07:22 AM on 02/09/2009

There's something deeply wrong with the mere idea that denial of the Holocaust is even being given ink in a mainstream venue. Something deeply wrong. I'm far from being a religious person...but this is as close to blasphemy, in my opinion, as one can get.

[Acleacius]

03:05 AM on 02/09/2009

As if this guy wouldn't lie to get his job back. This is total (B) S, oh joy another reason to (d) espise the Vatican, sigh.

[bdaved]

11:50 PM on 02/08/2009

I've been studying up on Richard Williamson and the Society of St. Pius X. I've read a large number of posts on his weekly blog, which can be found pretty easily, and I've learned , among other things, that he believes the Rocky Mountains were formed by "the Flood of Noah", that's women's career options should be limited to little more than "teaching within a private domestic framework, or true nursing", and that the Catholic Church is eventually going to come around to his way of thinking. He seems to be a very intelligent individual but illustrates quite well, for me, the truth that people only see the things they think they want to see. He is a genuine conservative who appears to be seeking refuge from the complexities of everyday life in religious orthodoxy. I can't help associating him with that other notorious Holocaust denier, David Irving, especially after watching the Swedish television interview.
I don't know whether this outreach to Williamson and the excommunicated members of the Society of St. Pius X indicates a return to traditionalist theology or is just a pontifical attempt at repairing bridges. I hope it's more of the latter.

[Mort]

12:58 AM on 02/09/2009

Interesting, informative and non-inflammatory, and yet your point is very clear. Kudos for being one of the very few on this thread to accomplish that!

[jwcmass]

02:33 PM on 02/09/2009

Excellent and well put. I would just suggest that Williamson (and others of his society) are reactionary, rather than conservative; what caused the schism in the first place was their disapproval of the entire Second Vatican Council and its reforms.

Both John Paul II and Benedict HAVE made quite an effort to reach out to them (certainly much more than to progresive dissenters).

How far "backward" they intend to take the Church is yet to be seen.

[Trogenhorse]

10:04 PM on 02/08/2009

I think there is a difference in not tolerating ignorance and not tolerating ignorant people. One should be careful not to mix up the two.

[MarkInEugene]

09:52 PM on 02/08/2009

Religion will destroy humanity and this planet if we don't stop believing and start thinking. Time is short, and enough human beings don't live long enough to gather the maturity and understanding to be good stewards of the earth. We need to behave more like symbiotes than an infestation. Silly ancient religions are the path to destruction. Only a very conscious humanity grounded in science and empirical study will survive the next thousand years. We cannot afford the cost of false prophets and the ignorance of belief.

It's time we grew out of our religious ignorance and started facing the absurdity of belief. It's time we face the failures of our economic models based on endless growth and boundless consumerism.

[Mort]

10:31 PM on 02/08/2009

When did teaching us to love each other become a path to the destruction of humanity? It's not religion that does it, it's human nature. Some people will use any tool, including religion, to dominate others. Even science! That doesn't mean the tool is evil, but the intent of the one trying to hurt others is.

What we can't afford is our continued "us vs them" mindset. Ignorance comes in all shapes and sizes. From fanatics of faith or atheism to the preachers of scientific doom that every year fade into abscurity when the facts change. No one has a monopoly on truth or goodness. And every time someone decides how all of us must think and act it ends in disaster. We must cherish our right to think, to choose what, if anything, to believe. Otherwise we've learned nothing from menaces like Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin and so many others.

[Dwjackson]

11:51 AM on 02/09/2009

And, as you imply, religion is a tool to be used, or misused, by human nature. And it's pretty clear that human nature can't handle the complexities of this tool, so to speak. Pretty clear indeed.Thus, I'm w/ MarkInEugene. Not that will ever happen, but the U.S. will forever be stuck in dead center, immobilized in fact, if it's unable, or unwilling, to think without seeing everything it does through the prism of religion

[MarkInEugene]

11:50 PM on 02/13/2009

You completely mischaracterized what I was saying. You know, its rarely said that religion is a big problem and what organized religion does to people is rarely questioned. You have the tax exempt Mormon Church spending $23 million on a campaign that boldly and defiantly attacks gay and lesbian human beings. And yet if anyone dare boldly and defiantly call them on their hypocrisy, people like you bring the conversation to a very biased viewpoint in favor of religion with such lines as "When did teaching us to love each other become a path to destruction"

And I ask you in return , when the Mormon and Catholic Church boldly and defiantly condemn gays and lesbians as an abomination suitable only for eternal damnation, where the hell is your outrage then? What could be more outrageous! I'm sick to death of the crystal clear bias in favor of religion in this culture. The hypocrisy is rank and blatant! It ok to say that gay people choose to be gay (which is complete bs!), but gd forbid, anyone dare question the Immaculate Conception, Christ rising from the dead, and other such nonsense!

I believe it not only appropriate, but sorely needed to criticize arrogant, oppressive religions borne out of ancient superstitious belief. I'm not at all advocating the destruction of religion. I'm advocating for a more critical assessment of religion and belief that places it more in balance with rational thinking.

[booboo111]

08:55 PM on 02/08/2009

Gee, let me see, He doesn't need proof that Jesus walked on water, but for this he needs proof!

[chaos4700]

10:39 PM on 02/08/2009

Yeah, there is rather an irony to that, isn't there?

[nochaos]

12:22 AM on 02/09/2009

BEST POST OF THE YEAR!!!

[thruthseeker]

08:54 PM on 02/08/2009

Any one commenting with "if it happened or "lets do research" or "we have the right to question "
is beyond contempt .
There as been so may books, research, testimony and witnesses and survivors that it makes questioning the holocaust the height of imbecility.

But please go ahead and vent..If it makes you feel better.

[MideastDove]

09:03 PM on 02/08/2009

Odd comment from someone whose handle is truthseeker.

[skippypicasso]

09:45 PM on 02/08/2009

Why is that odd?

[GeorgeKaplan]

11:22 PM on 02/08/2009

So tell us what the truth is... we await your reply.

[MagisterLudi]

12:42 AM on 02/09/2009

Most of the calls for "research" come from people who wouldn't recognize tools of research if their life dependent on it.

[MideastDove]

08:43 PM on 02/08/2009

My background is such that I am certain the holocaust happened. Due to the personal witness of relatives and friends, I also know there has been some exaggeration. In some cases, substantial exaggeration. We should all understand and forgive deeply traumatized people for this. It is easy to understand the forces that caused this behavior.

That there are be differences in numbers and methods, does not lessen the holocaust.

I am concerned by those who outright deny the holocaust, but equally alarmed that so many of my faith are unwilling to accept that there are legitimate questions on some of the numbers and methods.

To constantly yell and browbeat those who have questions or seek more answers does not help the cause, but only creates more resistence.

Instead, we should offer our assistance to the bisop and others who would like to know more.
We should not be so sensitive to questions.

[kerpin]

09:32 PM on 02/08/2009

with all due respect, if you go down and read some of the comments by those who raise "questions", you'll notice that as soon as they're asked for any evidence for their claims they are either (1) unable to provide any, (2) get their evidence from websites belonging to well-known anti-semites, or (3) put forward disinformation or blatant lies, which are easily proven as such.
it's clear that at least most, if not all, of these people have an anti-semitic agenda, and are not really interested in finding out the facts.

[landmine]

10:01 PM on 02/08/2009

I have read your comments and others like you.
They are very confrontational and as such, whatever message you are trying to sell, will not be received well by those with whom you disagree. In this approach you are wasting your time.

If you are interested in helping spread a better understanding, I would modify my approach.

[Trogenhorse]

09:38 PM on 02/08/2009

That is an intelligent approach. Like many my knowledge of history is not that great. If someone challenged me I would be able to state "yes the holocaust happened" but not much more. I have to admit there is alot more I need to study about my religion. I know what I believe and I love the catholic church but lack a deeper understanding of it.

[landmine]

09:58 PM on 02/08/2009

Yours is a great church. It has done the world much good and has been a comfort to mankind for a long, long time. As in all churches, there have been bad mistakes.
Some forget that individual priests or bad policies are man made and men will always make mistakes.

[courtb]

08:18 PM on 02/08/2009

What disturbs me most are the people on this site defending this appalling man. Total side note, he's also said such gems as: western leaders have “long been controlled by Judeo-masonry” and “women going to university is part of the whole massive onslaught on God’s Nature which characterises our times”.

I understand the desire to question history. After all, history is written by the victors. However, this is not a man who is truly interested in learning more about the events of the Holocaust. His refusal to go to Auschwitz, one of the standing testaments to the Holocaust, says a lot about his desire to learn more and understand. The Holocaust is the best documented genocide in history...

I don't have any problem with people wanting to learn more about the Holocaust and exam all aspects and all sources. But the problem with Holocaust denial is there are never enough facts; there is never enough proof. Holocaust deniers have been caught making up facts and sources (check out the libel trial of David Irving vs Penguin/Lipstadt, in which Lisptadt used no witnesses or survivors and depended solely on documents to refute his claims).

So I suppose my question to all of you who agree with Bishop Williamson: what are your doubts? What more proof do you need? Rather than just vague: "we don't actually know what happened" comments, bring up your specific points because odds are, someone knows!

[Clare53]

09:23 PM on 02/08/2009

Holocaust deniers -- or any other type of deniers - are not interested in the evidence they claim to seek. You are right, they always need more proof. I think that deep down they have no intention of examining evidence to reach a truth. They have decided that something did not happen and they will stick to it. They ramble on like this priest about specific properties of Zyklon B, blah, blah blah. They aren't interested in rational thought or evidence. The very people who claim they look at evidence, not emotions are the people who are operating on very deep-seated emotions. Compare Williamson's video to Tom Cruise's rant. They are eerily similar.

[BlackWidowPilot]

01:37 PM on 02/09/2009

Bingo.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[simon48]

10:18 AM on 02/09/2009

Robert Jan Van Pelt's "The Case for Auschwitz"
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=83dvJxPm--EC&dq=%22My+proposal+to+include+Crematorium+2+among+the+key+buildings+%22&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
written in connection with the David Irving/Deborah Lipstadt trial will be one of THE most valuable books concerning the Holocaust in coming centuries. The giant and purposeful industrial scale of the largest genocide in history is just that ,"unbelievable". The Jews in the ghettos and boxcars could not believe what escapees had told them. Perhaps even Roosevelt was incredulous. Robert Jan van Pelt's collection in one book of undeniable contemporary evidence can help coming generations grasp the truth of the unbelievable.
I don't hold out any hope, though, that blind men like Williamson will ever see anything. Their agenda is bigotry