Controversial Catholic Bishop Richard Williamson Passes Away at 84
Richard Williamson, a Catholic bishop known for his controversial denial of the Holocaust, has died at age 84. He was part of the Society of St. Pius X and was excommunicated in 1988, later rehabilitated by Pope Benedict XVI. His remarks on the Holocaust remained a significant scandal.
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Richard Williamson, an ultra-traditionalist Catholic bishop, has died at the age of 84. Known for the controversy he created by denying the Holocaust, Williamson's views came to light in 2009, prompting a scandal during Pope Benedict XVI's papacy.
Williamson suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in England on January 24, as reported by the Society of St. Pius X. He passed away last Wednesday. His connection to the Society began when Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated him as a bishop in 1988, leading to his excommunication with others for lacking papal consent.
Pope Benedict sought to mend the divide caused by Williamson's group, and even removed his excommunication. However, an interview airing before the pope's decree revealed Williamson's Holocaust denial, deeply embarrassing the Vatican. Ultimately, the Society of St. Pius X expelled him in 2012 for insubordination.
(With inputs from agencies.)