Colombian Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, President of the pontifical commission charged with reconciling the St. Pius X Society, said on Monday that the lifting of the excommunications from the four Lefebvrist bishops was aimed at healing a schism in the Catholic Church, and was in no way meant to provide any support for the controversial remarks of Bishop Richard Williamson.
Speaking to the Colombian network "Radio Cadena Nacional" (RCN), Cardinal Castrillon, who has been blamed by several Italian media for precipitating the storm that followed the lifting of the excommunication to Bishop Williamson, said that "the Holy Father completely rejects what was done in Germany to the Jewish people. He does not accept any offense aimed at the Jewish people. All we have for them is love. We never forget that Jesus was a Jew, Mary was a Jew and the Apostles were Jews."
Asked if he took into consideration bishop Williamson's theories about the Holocaust into account before bringing the decree to the attention of the Holy Father, Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos responded:
"I have always had truth as a norm. The Holy Father knows this. We are moving forward, trying to rebuild the unity of the Church, and put an end completely to this schism."
The Cardinal said that "as a Christian, I completely reject the atrocities of the Holocaust," and said the true Catholic position on the issue of the Shoah is "to always remember, to make sure that humanity never repeats a similar atrocity again."
