What Next in the Williamson Affair?

The various forces in the current attack on Bishop Williamson and the Church have reached a stasis that cannot endure.   Someone will have to make a move in the near term.  And then we will have a whole new situation presenting an opportunity for the Church to properly defend itself.

The current situation is:

• The Judaic spokesmen stated definitively that Bishop Williamson and his views in the Church are unacceptable.  They have also made clear that they will not be satisfied until Bishop Williamson is repudiated and re-excommunicated.  These spokesmen have not indicated their next move.
• The Vatican has rejected Bishop Williamson's apology.  They demanded that he make a full and public recanting of his remarks on the holocaust.  The Vatican has not indicated what they will do next.
• The Society of Saint Pius X through its superior, Bishop Fellay, has asked Bishop Williamson to reject his views about the holocaust within 30 days.  There is a news report that Bishop Fellay intends to expel Bishop Williamson if he speaks out again.  The traditional Catholic current has turned its back on Bishop Williamson.
• Bishop Williamson has apologized twice for the trouble his remarks caused.  He has said he will review the historical evidence.  He has not withdrawn his original remarks or beliefs.  He has been ordered to not say more.

So. something will have to break soon.  Before it does, it may be worth repeating that Bishop Williamson is not the enemy, as everyone but Bishop Williamson seems to think.  Bishop Williamson was simply set up in order to launch an elaborate campaign to attack the church.  His views were a convenient handle for the attackers, but what matters to the attackers is forcing the church to make concessions.  (See my previous post on this.)  The real enemy are those who are ensuring that 'the scandal' is a world-wide cause for hysteria.

Punishing Bishop Williamson is not the way to turn back the attack.  Such action will only temporarily ease the situation.  The Judaic attackers cannot be appeased.  To end the attack it is necessary to tell the truth that what is occurring is a political attack that is designed to weaken the Church; that disputes within the Church will be settled within the Church; and that the Church rejects all thug-like bully tactics from forces outside the Church.