Letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Letter
Letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Nearly 50 Catholic Members of Congress wrote to Pope Benedict XVI to urge his direct repudiation of Bishop Richard Williamson's public denial that the Holocaust occurred.
Below is the text of the letter.
January 29, 2009
His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI Apostolic Palace 00120, Vatican City State, Europe
Your Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, As Catholic Members of Congress, we are writing to express our deep concerns with your decision to reinstate Bishop Richard Williamson to communion with the Catholic Church at the same time that Bishop Williamson publicly denies that the Holocaust occurred or that such was the policy under Adolf Hitler. We do not question your reasons for revoking the excommunication of Bishop Williamson or your right to do so, but we fail to understand why the revocation was not accompanied by an emphatic public rejection of his denial of the Holocaust. As such, we seek clarification on this important matter.
Bishop Williamson has said as recently as this past November that, "historical evidence is hugely against 6 million Jews having been deliberately gassed in gas chambers as a deliberate policy by Adolf Hitler." Yet, the Holocaust is a verifiable fact and as people of good will would agree, one of the darkest chapters in our history as a human family. There are still thousands of people amongst us - Jews and non-Jews - who can attest through eye-witness accounts to the horrors of the Holocaust. Bishop Williamson's comments regarding the Holocaust echo those of neo-Nazis, Islamist extremists, racists and others who choose hatred and violence over peaceful co-existence among peoples of all races and ethnicities.
We understand that Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi has said that this issue is unrelated to the reinstatement of Bishop Williamson and that you do not share in his views. And we welcome your recent statement expressing "full and indisputable solidarity" with the Jewish people. But this is too sensitive an issue to be handled without a direct repudiation of Bishop Williamson's views. As a spiritual leader and the head of the Catholic Church, we believe it is vital that you publicly state your unequivocal position on this matter so that it is clear where the Church stands on one of the most consequential events of the 20th century. To neglect to do so is to allow others to portray it as they wish and impede the progress made over so many years toward harmony and reconciliation.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
ROSA L. DeLAURO
WILLIAM DELAHUNT
ANNA ESHOO
JAMES L. OBERSTAR
BART STUPAK
BILL PASCRELL
CHRISTOPHER P. CARNEY
GERALD E. CONNOLLY
MAURICE D. HINCHEY
JIM COSTA
PHIL HARE
JOSEPH CROWLEY
PETER DEFAZIO
PATRICK J. KENNEDY
DENNIS J. KUCINICH
JAMES P. MORAN
WM. LACY CLAY
RICHARD E. NEAL
ALBIO SIRES
PETER WELCH
TIM RYAN
TOM PERRIELLO
LINDA SÁNCHEZ
LUIS V. GUTIERREZ
CAROL SHEA-PORTER
MICHAEL F. DOYLE
DENNIS A. CARDOZA
JOHN LARSON
XAVIER BECERRA
GEORGE MILLER
FRANK PALLONE
BETTY McCOLLUM
JAMES A. McGOVERN
JACKIE SPEIER
CAROLYN McCARTHY
EDWARD J. MARKEY
NYDIA VELAZQUEZ
STEPHEN F. LYNCH
JOSE E. SERRAMO
SILVESTRE REYES
RAUL GRIJALVA
JOE BACA
BRIAN HIGGINS
MIKE THOMPSON
JERRY F. COSTELLO
DIANE WATSON
JOHN A BOCCIERI
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