Breaking- Cardinal Hoyos accuses Swedish bishop of slander

He is for many the villain of the piece: Darío Castrillón Hoyos until July, head of the Commission responsible for dialogue with the SSPX.


He is also for many church people the villain of the piece: Darío Castrillón Hoyos, 80 years old, Cardinal from Colombia, until July head of the Pontifical Commission, "Ecclesia Dei" responsible. for the dialogue with the traditionalist SSPX.

He is considered the main perpetrator in the scandal surrounding the SSPX Bishop Richard Williamson, whose excommunication, Pope Benedict XVI. lifted in January. Must not Hoyos have known that Williamson before the act of mercy from the Pope had denied that Jews were murdered in gas chambers in an interview with Swedish television? And that the British cleric had held this view for a long time?

In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung Hoyos took this position:

SZ: You say that Williamson's interview was not known about. What would the Pope have done if he had known about it?

Hoyos: I would venture no hypotheses about what the pope would have to do. I am referring only to what he knew, as the lifting of the excommunication was made public. At this moment none of us knew the least about Bishop Williamson's statements. None of us! And no one had the duty to know it!

Since 2000, the arch-conservative prelate organised the negotiations with the SSPX. It was not so much about the theology of the traditionalists who reject the important parts of the Second Vatican Council. It was about canonical issues: had the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre committed an act of schism (division of the Church) when he ordained was four of their priests as bishops in 1988? And have the Bishops fallen into unbelief who were excommunicated after the consecration?

SZ: Do you share the positions of the SSPX?
Hoyos: The SSPX think that they are defending the truth about sacred tradition and that they can not be excommunicated for it. This can be understood, even if I do not share this opinion. For it is indisputable that they have broken a fundamental law of the Church.

The answers coming from Rome ran simply as follows: The SSPX violated the church discipline. Their bishops should not be understood as heretics fallen into apostasy - which is why the talks could continue. Hoyos has worked hard to ensure that it should not come to a break between Rome and the SSPX. And he had for this in Joseph Ratzinger, an advocate. Benedict XVI legitimised the traditional Tridentine Mass in 2007 and Hoyos at once celebrated a Mass in the old Rite. Secret negotiations involved the lifting of excommunication. The step decided on a week earlier and notified to the SSPX was made public on 21st.

This would have remained a matter within the church, had not Williamson given in November 2008 during a priestly ordination in the Bavarian Zaitzkofen the infamous interview to a reporter from Sweden. The transmitter waited with the broadcast until January 2009, when the excommunications could not be reversed. For Hoyos evidence that there was an attempt to show up the Pope and himself. But the attitude Williamson had previously been known. This is now suggested also in the statement of the Bishop of Stockholm, who learned at the end of November 2008 the content of the programme and informed the Swedish nuncio, who had in turn informed the Secretariat of State in the Vatican. Probably the note was simply filed, also, because the Secretary of State knew nothing of the imminent lifting of the excommunication,. Cardinal Hoyos calls in the SZ-interview, but the deeper reason why the attitude of Pius brothers played no role: He was concerned only about the canon. And he has no opinion about someone who says that the Jews invented the Holocaust.

SZ: Have you ever asked yourself whether your decisions may have political consequences?

Hoyos: The excommunication of four bishops, is not a political act. It is an act of mercy. It is therefore a pastoral-theological problem, not an interference of the church in the political sphere. So I do not concern myself. My job is not to judge a brother bishop. That is the task of the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

SZ: But the Catholic Church has an opinion on anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.

Hoyos: The rejection by the Church of the very unjust violence which Jewish people were subjected to is quite clear. Such racial genocide is an immoral crime against humanity.

SZ: Why then did you not stop the lifting of the excommunication of a Holocaust denier?

Hoyos: Williamson was excommunicated because of his illegitimate episcopal ordination, not because of his theories, judgments or statements about the Holocaust. Seeing the matter in the other way is a German mistake!

The Cardinal sees himself as a victim of an intrigue: On this Friday, there is a meeting planned with Bishop Fellay, the SSPX head. This will be disturbed by the matters that have been made public.

Ends- extract only produced online

Source

And extra from the Wiener Zeitung

Former Curia Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos has accused the Catholic Bishop of Stockholm, Anders Arborelius, slander.

This claim that Rome had already been informed at the end of 2008 about the attitude of the traditionalist bishop and Holocaust-denier Richard Williamson, was "a slander," said the 80-year-old in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

"I regret this very dubious statement, because it is wrong (...) We store all the documents we receive in digital form. Bishop Arborelius should say, how, to who and when he communicated this, and whether it was in writing or orally. "

Comments

Sixupman said…
I used to receive Dinoscopus by "changedetection" but did not register when the mode changed. I continually received notices to "register" but desisted. To-day, I received yet another e-mail seeking that I register, but also including a 'drop-down' to view a "sample letter". What do I see: Fr.Peter Scott yet again claiming superior intellect to that of BXVI. These people should have the courage of their convictions and leave SSPX and set up their own 'order'. Msgr. Lefebvre referred to Hans Kung as the "pope of Tubingen" - perhaps we might be faced with 'Pope' Richard Williamson? This [American] element of SSPX just do not get it - BXVI is the friend of SSPX. The problem lies with the, inter alia, the Northern European bishops' conferences and that mob within the laity who see themselves as possessed of equal standing with the ordained clergy.
The antics of the American fundamentalist lobby, within SSPX, have common cause with the European hierarchies, et al - destroy the possibility of any +Fellay/SSPX agreement with Rome.
This is just a smokescreen, it seems to me incredible that the Catholics turn away his attention of the main topic: What monsignor williamson said regarding the "holocaust" is it true or false? Is the "holocaust" a catholic dogma? Let's wake up at once!
Dan said…
Unfortunately the "holocaust" IS a DOGMA. A dogma for the conciliar pro-Judaic church, who bends its knees to whatever the Jew say and demand. Sad as it is, yes, you might advocate for heresies and bestiality, and any sort of crazy theological or moral idea, and you'll be pretty much accepted / tolerated. Speak out against the "Shoa" and you are plain dead. Priests, bishops and cardinals will condemn you right away.
Aged parent said…
May I say that I am growing extremely weary of this topic in all its ramifications and suggestions.? I am frankly scandalized by the sight of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church jumping every time a Jew objects to this or that statement spoken or written by those in the Church with whom they disagree. I am also informing our Jewish friends here and now that we are getting quite sick and tired of hearing about their sufferings - as if their sufferings are the only ones worthy of comment and must needs be paraded in front of the world on a weekly, indeed daily basis. We have been stuffed with this like a Strasbourg goose - and we have no appetite left for it.

I agree that Bishop Williamson should be more prudent in his public utterances but I see no reason (other than ugly pressure) to castigate him merely for expressing some skepticism regarding the exact number of Jewish deaths at the hands of the Nazis. Some say the Chinese Communists murdered over 100 million Chinese; some say it was only 70 million. Can we not even discuss these numbers rationally and in a spirit of mutual respect? That our Jewish friends go ballistic over even the smallest doubts about the extent of their suffering does seem to suggest that there is at least more to this than meets the eye.

But if we are going to take Bishops to task for their transgressions, let us begin with the disgusting likes of a Rembert Weakland or a Howard Hubbard or a Bernard Law or a Mahony or a swine like the late Bernadin of Chicago. What these monsters have done is far worse in the eyes of God than a mere quibble over numbers.

So do us a favor: please treat this hysteria about Bishop Williamson like the minor kerfuffle it is, and let's keep on topic, which is to teach and spread the Catholic faith, outside of which no one at all (repeat, at all) can be saved.