Vatican knew of Holocaust denier before pardon.

[Strong Atheist]

<snip>

The interview with then-excommunicated Bishop Richard Williamson, a member of the Catholic traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (the SSPX), aired on Swedish TV in the investigative journalism program Uppdrag granskning in January 2009, sparked off the most serious crisis between Jews and Catholics seen in recent times.


...


The Vatican has maintained that they had no knowledge of the interview with Richard Williamson when the decision to lift the excommunication was made.

Uppdrag granskning is now able to reveal that the Vatican was, in fact, aware of Williamson's statements well before the decision was made, and that one of the Pope's closest associates, Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos had been informed.

The information was included in an internal report written by the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm, Sweden, as early as November 2008, not long after Uppdrag granskning had interviewed Williamson in Germany. The report includes remarks made by Richard Williamson expressing his view that the Holocaust never took place, and that statements to that effect are a criminal offense in Germany.

http://svt.se/2.116405/1.1700503/interview_with_williamson_no_secret_to_the_vatican

[Deep13]

1. Any chance we will see an excommunication for Hitler? nt

[laconicsax]

2. LOL!

:spray:

Yeah...that'll happen.

[struggle4progress]

4. "Excommunication" simply means the church member is not allowed to take communion

The intent is that the person repent the acts leading to exclusion from full participation in the community. The Catholic church would not bother to "excommunicate" someone who was not a practicing Catholic, a nonbeliever, or a dead man. What would be the point?

[sspeilbergfan90]

3. Disgraceful

[struggle4progress]

5. Vatican orders Holocaust-denying bishop Richard Williamson to recant (Feb 09)

guardian.co.uk
Wednesday 4 February 2009 14.16 GMT
The Vatican today told a Holocaust-denying bishop he must publicly recant before being readmitted into the Roman Catholic church ... http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/04/holocaust-denying-bishop-vatican-recant-pope

ZE09022701 - 2009-02-27
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-25217?l=english
Vatican Wants More From Bishop Williamson
Says Apology Is Insufficient
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 27, 2009 (Zenit.org).- A Vatican spokesman says an apology from formerly excommunicated Society of St. Pius X Bishop Richard Williamson is not enough ... In his statement Thursday, Bishop Williamson said that observing the consequences of his interview, "I can truthfully say that I regret having made such remarks, and that if I had known beforehand the full harm and hurt to which they would give rise, especially to the Church, but also to survivors and relatives of victims of injustice under the Third Reich, I would not have made them. <…> To all souls that took honest scandal from what I said, before God I apologize." Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, said in a verbal statement today that the apology is lacking. He told journalists that the statement "does not seem to respect the conditions established in the Feb. 4 note from the <Vatican> Secretariat of State, which stated that <Bishop Williamson> must distance himself in an absolute, unequivocal and public way from his positions regarding the Shoah" ... http://www.zenit.org/article-25217?l=english

They offered him re-entry into the Church but insisted he back down on his Holocaust denials and STFU