Rome, Italy, Feb 27, 2009 / 11:59 am
On Friday, the Vatican’s spokesman discarded an apology from Bishop Richard Williamson over remarks he made diminishing the extent of the Holocaust.
Bishop Williamson, who has been at the center of a storm of controversy due to his comments, issued an apology yesterday.
Reacting to Williamson’s apology, the Vatican’s spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, faulted the bishop for issuing his statement in the form of an open letter. "This is not a letter directed to the Holy Father or to the Pontifical Ecclesia Dei Commission," Fr. Federico critiqued.
In his Thursday statement, Bishop Williamson said, "I can truthfully say that I regret having made such remarks, and that if I had known beforehand the full harm and hurt to which they would give rise, especially to the Church, but also to survivors and relatives of victims of injustice under the Third Reich, I would not have made them."