Argentina gives traditionalist bishop 10 days to leave country

Catholic News Service ^ | February 20, 2009

[Loyalist]

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNS) -- The government of Argentina announced Feb. 19 that ultratraditionalist Bishop Richard Williamson had 10 days to leave the country or be expelled, news media reported.

The Interior Ministry said British-born Bishop Williamson "has concealed the true motive for his stay in the country" because he said he was an employee of a nongovernmental group when he was serving as rector of the seminary of the Society of St. Pius X in La Reja for the past five years.

The government also said Bishop Williamson's remarks that the Holocaust was exaggerated and that no Jews died in Nazi gas chambers insulted and offended Argentine society and the Jewish community.

Bishop Williamson was removed as head of the seminary in early February.

In January Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication of Bishop Williamson and three other traditionalist bishops. The bishops were ordained against papal orders in 1988 by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Society of St. Pius X.

The Vatican later published a statement saying that Bishop Williamson would not be welcomed into full communion with the church unless he disavowed his remarks about the Holocaust and publicly apologized.

END

[Loyalist]

Pope Benedict XVI could not have helped the situation with the Society of St. Pius X more than he did by lifting the excommunications.

Bishop Williamson has been a boundless source of aggravation to the SSPX and the Holy See in their efforts to restore full communion.

The SSPX has feared that Williamson would take a significant number of hard-line clerics and adherents with him if its situation were regularized with a Holy See that Williamson has all but denounced in the past as the seat of Anti-Christ.

But now with the excommunications lifted, Bishop Fellay can finally do what he's probably wanted to do for some time: cut Williamson loose.