Why can't he put a cork in it?

Williamson: What is he trying to achieve?

For some good analysis of Bishop Richard Williamson's latest attempts to cause an ecumenical train crash with multiple casualties, read Catholicism Pure and Simple.

Worth a read is the Transalpine Redemptorists response. A Reluctant Sinner has posted a comprehensive answer to the public meanderings of this most offensive and reckless man. Ah, what to say? Other than to say that every time Bishop Williamson speaks on such things, he crucifies Christ all over again.

He fosters disunity in the Body of Christ, the Church, rather than unity, and he also fosters emnity with the children of Israel, the Jews, rather than peace. What has the World come to when a layman has to tell a 'Bishop': "Jesus died for you. He died on account of your sins"  This is basic Catholicism, I know, but hey, this guy clearly needs a little catechesis. And why is he banging on about the "Jew's behaviour"? What is so wonderful about his behaviour? If his behaviour was that great, wouldn't the Holy Father have publicly commended such a fine and wonderful Christian who uses whatever influence he has to promote the Gospel? No. In fact, in The Light of the World, the Holy Father makes it quite clear that he was unaware, when the excommunication was lifted, 'what kind of a man' the Vatican was dealing with.' Yikes! If the Holy Father said that of me, I'd be bricking it!

So what kind of a man are we dealing with? Well, every time he speaks to the media and does this he seems to set back talks further, create more distance between the SSPX and the Church, cause more harm and offense to the Jewish people and just generally raise Hell. Yes, historically speaking, the high priests of the Temple, were Jews, just like Our Lord, Our Lady and the Apostles were Jews, and indeed nearly all characters in the Gospels were Jews. A small group of these worked actively towards Our Lord's cruel torture and death. This small group whipped up a portion of a crowd and raised public sentiment against Our Lord. However, other than Williamson, I know no Catholic who reads the Passion narrative purely in its historical context and who reads it thinking, 'The evil Jews crucified Christ. Wicked, wicked Jews!'.

This Man, Jesus Christ, is, after all, the man who submitted Himself to a cruel and terrible death out of love for all of us, out of love for me, out of love for Bishop Williamson and out of love for, yes, the Jews, even those Jews who were historically, personally present and responsible at the time for His death and execution. "Father, forgive them," He cried, "for they know not what they do." Even Caiaphas, in his great malice, cannot have really understood Who he was mocking upon the Cross, because if he did, he quite simply wouldn't have done it. He'd have begged forgiveness. There is a blindness there, a hard-heartedness, an ignorance and an unwillingness to come into the light. He didn't recognise, like the Centurion did, in Jesus, the only Son of God.

Unfortunately, while we cannot, in the same spirit, ask the same forgiveness for Bishop Williamson from the Heavenly Father, for we cannot say that he 'knows not' what he does, we can pray for him. Sadly, he does know what he is doing and it is incredibly damaging to the Church and to relations with the Jewish people and to the SSPX. That is why he is so disturbing. What is motivating him other than Pride and malice? Does he say these things because he longs for the conversion of the Jewish people, like St Paul? Or is he just, actually, well, masturbating?

He does not strike me as a man who loves Jesus Christ, nor His Church, nor even the SSPX. He strikes me as a man who loves only himself, which, for (even an invalid) 'Bishop' is incredibly sad. Ironically, in that sense, I find him to be something of a Caiaphas character - a bit heartless. Say a prayer for him that the good will the Church seeks from all men towards Her may be at least in some part evident in his life. I'm being a bit nasty aren't I? Still, if Bishop Williamson thinks spouting mental diarrhoea through the media is acceptable, then he has to accept some coming back his way, even if, as is most likely, he never reads it. For me, the most appalling thing about Williamson isn't his repetitive 'controversial' remarks - it is his public demonstrations that he is a source of disunity, division and most of all, that he is blatantly, publicly distancing himself from the theology and thought of the Holy Father. What he is doing, which appears to be deliberate, is quite wicked.

Update: Please see a good analysis at A Sensible Bond