Richard Williamson, a controversial bishop known for his ultra-traditionalist Catholic beliefs, passed away at the age of 84. His death followed a cerebral hemorrhage he suffered in England on January 24, and was confirmed by the Society of St. Pius X in a statement released on Thursday.
Williamson was one of four men consecrated as bishops in 1988 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who founded the society in 1969 in direct opposition to the Second Vatican Council—a series of pivotal church meetings during the 1960s that modernized various Catholic practices, such as permitting Mass to be conducted in languages other than Latin and fostering improved relations with Jews.
Due to his actions, Williamson and the other consecrated bishops were excommunicated by the Vatican in 1988 for their ordinations, which occurred without papal approval. Subsequently, Pope Benedict XVI made efforts to mend this schism and reintegrate the Society of St. Pius X into the Catholic Church, concerned about the emergence of a counter-church rooted in pre-Vatican II traditions. This concern was justified, as the society, based in Menzingen, Switzerland, has established six seminaries and numerous chapels, schools, and retreat centers worldwide.
In an attempt to reconcile these divisions, Pope Benedict lifted the excommunications of Williamson and other bishops in 2009. However, a significant backlash arose after Williamson denied in a Swiss television interview that Jews were exterminated in gas chambers during the Holocaust, coinciding with the timing of the pope’s announcement. The incident led to an intense backlash, and Pope Benedict later admitted that he had made errors concerning his handling of Williamson, noting that a simple search on the internet would have revealed the bishop’s contentious views.
Williamson’s contentious stance placed him at odds with the Society, which expelled him in 2012 due to insubordination. This decision followed his refusal to submit to the society’s authority within a designated timeframe and his public calls for the resignation of its superior.
The following year, Williamson was fined by a German court for his public denial of the Holocaust, a criminal offense in Germany. In light of Williamson’s death, the Society of St. Pius X acknowledged that he had been ordained a priest in 1976 by Lefebvre and had taught at various seminaries across Europe, the U.S., and Argentina. Additionally, he held a leadership role as the second assistant general from 1988 to 1994. The society remarked, “Sadly, his path and that of the Society separated many years ago.”
