Friday, February 13, 2009

Denying the Holocaust -- A Frightening Scandal

How can a bishop deny the truth? This one has heads around the world shaking in disbelief. The sad reality is that Bp. Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X publicly denied that the "Holocaust" as such ever took place.

Arrest of Polish Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II


When Bp. Williamson, originally from Great Britain, went on Swedish TV and publicly denied that millions upon millions of Jews perished under the Nazi regime throughout Central, Western and Eastern Europe, an international outrcy went up.


Thankfully, over the course of several weeks, our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI weighed in to affirm the sobering reality of the Shoah ("holocaust" in Hebrew) and denounce any denial thereof.


In Germany it is a crime to deny the reality of the Holocaust that occured in Europe when the Nazis came to power. Adolph Hitler became Chancellor of Germany and began the anti-Jewish practices that resulted in the "Final Solution" of the Jews. There were others whom the Nazis persecuted -- homosexuals, Roma (gypsies), Masons, Jehovah's Witnesses, communists, trade unionists. But by far the attempt to eliminate Jews from Europe, even from the face of the earth, was the Nazi plot of the so-called "Master Race".

Survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp in southern Poland. The camp was liberated by the Soviets in 1945

My Dad, Joseph AR Studwell, Jr. was an MP with Gen. Patton's Third Army during World War II. After the concentration camp at Buchenwald was liberated by the Allies, he entered the camp and told me as I was growing up the gruesomeness of the camp. He had a photo of himself and another MP taken by the bodies of the victims of Nazi atrocity. (I don't have that photo readily available for this blog).

The sad reality with which we still have to deal is anti-Semitism and racism in all its ugly and evil facets. Truth, even when negated, does triumph. Even sadder, though, is when it exists among people who claim to believe in Jesus Christ. How odd that the Messiah of Israel, himself a Jew, becomes coopted by those who would deny the reality of the Holocaust.

Pope Benedict XVI and many, many bishops in communion with him have decried the untruthful comments that have resulted in scandal provoked by Bp. Williamson's remarks. This is also "anti-life", and disgracefully from within the Christian community.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

FR.KIM THE LORD GIVE YOU PEACE Thank you very much for the article about the HOLOCAUST--A FRIGHTENING SCANDAL" I cannot even fathom or imagine the horror that these poor suffering human beings endured during the HOLOCAUST.And for a Bishop to deny that this truth ever happened certainly needs to re-evuluate his own FAITH AND HIS OWN REALTY THIS BISHOP CERTAINLY DOES NOT NEED TO BE IN RELIGIOUS LIFE AS THIS BISHOP CERTAINLY IS NOT FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS CHRIST HOW CAN THIS BISHOP LIVE WITH HIS CONSCIENCE AND HIS HEART MAYBE THIS BISHOP DOES NOT HAVE NEITHER HE CERTAINLY DOES NOT NEED TO BE CELEBRATING MASS WITH GOD'S HOLY PEOPLE IF YOU ARE PREACHING FROM THE ALTER AND BEING UNTRUTHFUL IN WHAT YOU ARE TEACHING TO YOUR PARISHNORS AND YOU ARE NOT PRACTICING THE FAITH YOU ARE PREACHING OR MOST IMPORTANTLY LIVING THE GOSPEL LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST YOU MOST DEFINTLEY NEED TO TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT WHY YOU DENY THAT THE HOLOCAUST EVER TOOK PLACE. LET US ALL PRAY FOR THIS BISHOP HE CERTAINLY NEEDS OUR PRAYERS.I DO APOLIGIZE FOR BEING JUDGEMENTAL IT IS ONLY GOD'S PLACE TO JUDGE US AND NOT OURS. THANK YOU. FR.KIM GOD BLESS YOU AND THE ENTIRE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY PROVINCE.AMEN! THANK YOU CONNIE