Israel's top rabbis sever Vatican links

**mongrel** · January 28, 2009, 04:53 PM

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...s-1518711.html

Israel's highest Jewish body severed ties with the Vatican today in protest at the Pope's decision to reinstate a bishop who publicly denied millions of Jews were killed during the Holocaust.

Briton Richard Williamson and three other bishops were excommunicated 20 years ago after right-wing Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated them without papal consent.

I fail to see how a holocaust-denier could call themselves Christian, let alone have a a leadership role in the Church. Was the Pope properly advised or what?

**Axeman** · January 28, 2009, 05:27 PM

Must....not....punch.....wall

I mean seriously , what person with the intellectual capacity higher then that of a cardboard box *which is at least useful in that it holds things* denies the existence of the HOLOCAUST. Not only that , then give him a leadership position in an organization that is supposed to be the voice of the catholic church.

Common sense needs to make a resurgence or I am going to think I am the last sane person on earth , then promptly go insane from that thought.

**Thanatos** · January 28, 2009, 05:30 PM

Every religion has idiots.

**Axeman** · January 28, 2009, 05:32 PM

Unfortunately there are stupid people all over the world.

Do we really have to put these stupid people in positions of power though? Can't we just leave him in a corner sucking his thumb?

**mrmouth** · January 28, 2009, 05:34 PM

Yeah the guys stupid, but as Mongrel says, what was the Pope thinking?

**Barry Goldwater** · January 28, 2009, 05:36 PM

What was running through the Pope's mind when he did this? Worse yet, what kind of uberdrug do you have to be on to deny the Holocaust?
________
INDONESIAN COOKING

**~~Roman Rapper~~** · January 29, 2009, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by The Man

What was running through the Pope's mind when he did this? Worse yet, what kind of uberdrug do you have to be on to deny the Holocaust?

You do know that the Pope used to himself be a Nazi, right?

Interestingly the Iranian government spokesman has also come out in recent days and stated that Iran officially believes the Holocaust was a hoax.

**danzig** · January 29, 2009, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by Empi Rapper

You do know that the Pope used to himself be a Nazi, right?

Oh christ please, he was *14* at the time, his father a devout catholic opposed the nazi regime but like all german male youths was "forced" into Hitler youth. Calling him a nazi is just flat out wrong and dumb.

Interestingly the Iranian government spokesman has also come out in recent days and stated that Iran officially believes the Holocaust was a hoax.

Which is typical of rhetorical of Iran.

**Axeman** · January 28, 2009, 05:38 PM

Some ungodly mix of Heroin , Belgian peasant Phecces, amphetamines , and icadamine ought to do it.

*I hope you guys understood the reference*

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**mongrel** · January 28, 2009, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by The Man

What was running through the Pope's mind when he did this? Worse yet, what kind of uberdrug do you have to be on to deny the Holocaust?

Now I remember!

**Lord Consul** · January 28, 2009, 06:02 PM

You guys must understand how the Church works. I doubt Ratzinger spent more than 5 minutes reading the consecration paper before signing it. Hundreds of Bishops die everyday and hundreds more Priests and Abbots are elevated to replace those who perished.

**antares24** · January 28, 2009, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by mongrel

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...s-1518711.html

Israel's highest Jewish body severed ties with the Vatican today in protest at the Pope's decision to reinstate a bishop who publicly denied millions of Jews were killed during the Holocaust.

Briton Richard Williamson and three other bishops were excommunicated 20 years ago after right-wing Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated them without papal consent.

I fail to see how a holocaust-denier could call themselves Christian, let alone have a a leadership role in the Church. Was the Pope properly advised or what?

eheh despite myself hating the Vatican i must say that here there is an ovvereaction by the jewish community, basically these guys were excommuticated years ago for a series of reason, now the pope decided to close this rift and lift the excommunication, the opinion of the holocaust denier crazy bishop were not taken in consideration. And the Vatican clatified that it don't share them.

Ehe but still not a sensible move in a period of strained relations between the Vatican and Israel.

**The Good** · January 28, 2009, 07:58 PM

Good for Israel. The Holocaust did indeed exist. It was a horrible chapter in human history for sure.

**Acco** · January 29, 2009, 12:54 AM

Originally Posted by Artorius Maximus

Good for Israel.

Just for clarification, the rabbinate and the Israeli state maintain seperate ties with the Vatican, so the rabbinate's action here hasn't affected state relations between the Vatican and Israel.

Originally Posted by Justinian

What an incredibly bad move from a pope who was in the Hitler Youth and has had to work to fight his reputation as a Nazi.

Membership for the Hitler Youth was required for all 14-year old German boys, and even then the Pope was never enthusiastic about the Hitler Youth and never attended the meetings of it. And his own family, his father especially, hated Nazism as they believe it conflicted with Christianity.

**♔Jean-Luc Picard♔** · January 28, 2009, 08:05 PM

Why in Hell is it news that the Jews cut ties with the Vatican? There are hardly any Catholics in Israel (compared to Jews) and they simply aren't any Jews in the Vatican. Yeah its stupid, but why is it noteworthy? Almost anyone excommunicated nowadays is let back into the Church eventually so why does it matter that another nut job got back in so he didn't toast his ass in Hell for eternity. Its a mercy thing that Popes do. Eventually.

**HorseArcher** · January 28, 2009, 08:17 PM

You know how the news generate money, by attracting more listeners with controversial and outrageous stuff?

I guess the Vatican is hopping onto this, let's get some controversial stuff going on..antisemtisim is on at its highest point, due to the economy crisis and the war in Gaza, I'm sure the Vatican is watching what is going on..they might be able to gather some of the dissatisfied people.