Richard Williamson, the Holocaust-denying bishop who had his excommunication lifted by the Pope has left Argentina after weeks of pressure. Last night he was seen boarding a British Airways flight in Buenos Aires, leaving for London.
At the airport he was followed by an Argentinean reporter and he shoved him into a pole with his shoulder as he hurried to catch the flight to London. With sunglasses and a black cab he more looked like an old rock, grumpy rock star than a respected bishop. See the images from the Argentinean television right here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeywYKwSqew
The Argentinean government issued a statement last week saying Williamson had ten days to leave Argentina voluntarily; otherwise he would be thrown out of the country. The reason was that – in the past – Williamson denied the holocaust ever took place, not more than 300.000 Jews have been killed during the Second World War and gas chambers could never have existed. Authorities in Buenos Aires added to their statement that they found Williamson’s “views on the Holocaust deeply offensive to Argentine society, the Jewish people and humanity."
Williamson is a traditionalist bishop who is a member of the ultra-conservative Society of St. Pius X. After the statement and under huge pressure, the Society of St Pius X sacked him as head of its seminary there. In Britain, Bishop Williamson could face an extradition attempt by prosecutors in Germany after he gave an interview there broadcast on Swedish television in which he said: "There were no gas chambers." You can find that interview here:www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6C9BuXe2RM
(Timesonline.co.uk, Guardian.co.uk, Skynews.co.uk, picture: Timesonline.co.uk)
