Piling on the Pope

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has chimed in, calling on the pope to make a more forceful renunciation of Bishop Williamson's Holocaust denials. Many high-profile Germans have spoken up in similar vein. As for the Vatican's reaction to the uproar, Cardinal Walter Kasper said the following:

"Surely, mistakes have been made in the management of the Curia, too, I want to say this explicitly."

Ok, mistakes have been made. That said, is this collective uproar against Pope Benedict XVI really necessary? Does anyone seriously doubt the pope's, and by extension the Church's, stance on the moral abomination of what was done to the Jews during WWII? Bishop Williamson's personal statement was offensive. Having been to Auschwitz, having seen the gas chambers, the ovens and the gut wrenching images of death, I have to say, it's hard to fathom that someone would dare venture to minify the extent of the well-documented Jewish pogrom. But Williamson did. He should retract the foolish, hurtful remarks and then, fade away. Goodbye.

Criticism of the pope though, is taking it one step too far. The issue of excommunication and rehabilitation pertains solely to theological matter, an internal issue of the Church. There may be room for criticism when it comes to the curia not having more thoroughly vetted the public statements of the bishop in question and Cardinal Kasper seems to concede as much. On the other hand, how does anyone operating in a civilized, rational setting, where certain things like the Holocaust are taken as a given, prepare himself for responding to such radical, unexpected and fringe statements? You'd expect this kind of anti-Semitic tripe from the likes of Ahmadinejad, not from a bishop. Williamson's pratfall clearly caught the Vatican by surprise and more overtures may have to be offered to pacify the storm.

That said, to have to read about middle-aged, sanctimonious politicos lecturing the pope, someone who actually experienced the horrors of WWII, is a bit odd. The pope doesn't need reminders about the horrors of the 1940's. Thanks anyway, Mrs. Merkel.

From the AP:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Pope Benedict XVI to make a "very clear" rejection of Holocaust denials after a former bishop was rehabilitated by the Vatican.

Her rare and public demand came amid increasing outrage among Germany's Roman Catholic leaders over the pope's decision to lift the excommunication of British-born Richard Williamson, who questioned whether 6 million Jews were gassed during the Nazi Holocaust.

Merkel said she "does not believe" there has been adequate clarification of the Vatican's position on the Holocaust amid the firestorm of controversy that broke out after Williamson's rehabilitation by the German-born pope.