Pope Lifts Excommunications of Four Bishops

By: Mike Bozee

The Pope recently lifted the excommunications of four bishops. One of these bishops, Richard Williamson, has outraged Jews by claiming the Nazi gas chambers during the Holocaust never existed. Understandably, the Pope's action of pardoning Williamson will have negative implications toward the relationship between the Jews and the Catholic Church. The is particularly unfortunate, given that the relationship has been strained in recent history. Despite Williamson's view, the Church has made efforts to distance itself from his remarks. The Vatican's spokesman, Rev Federico Lombardi, ensures that the Pope's recent action of lifting the excommunications of the four bishops is unrelated to Williamson's opinion of the Holocaust. As of now, the success of the Catholic Church's efforts to disassociate itself from Williamson's view will have a major impact on the relationship between the Jews and the Church.