Forum catholique : auto-défense

Radio Vatican : interview du Cal Kasper par Jean Kinzler (2009-01-30 19:48:01)

(28 Jan 09 -RV) The President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Walter Kasper, met with Phillippa Hitchen to talk about the Pope’s Angelus. Many Jewish groups had been upset by the lifting of the excommunications on the bishops of the Society of St. Pius X because one of their bishops, Bishop Richard Williamson, denied the full extent of the Holocaust. The head of the society later distanced himself from Williamson’s remarks. Cardinal Kasper told Phillippa the lifting of the excommunications is a separate matter, and should not affect Jewish-Catholic relations: Ecouter le Cal Kasper sur Radio Vatican “We have to distinguish between two aspects of the whole thing; the one aspect is the lifting of the excommunication of the four bishops from the Society of the Fraternity of St Pius X. This does not mean that we are already in full communion with them, it’s the first step to remove the juridical and psychological obstacles to dialogue with them on several points. This will not be an easy dialogue but we are willing to go on. Our office is in favour of the unity of the Church and therefore also in favour of unity with this association. And it was a very sad and unfortunate coincidence this interview with Bishop Williamson. The Catholic Church of course does not agree with his statements. We can only distance ourselves from this statement and the society [of Pius X] has also distanced itself from this statement. So we have to distinguish the two things and not mix them up. My vision, my hope is that also our Jewish partners will understand that this is an unfortunate coincidence of two things that have absolutely nothing to do with each other whatsoever. And [our dialogue] should go on in the best interests of both sides”. Radio Vatican