The Rev. Richard Williamson, a priest associated with a breakaway Catholic sect, passed away on Wednesday in Margate, England, at the age of 84. His death, attributed to a cerebral hemorrhage, was confirmed by the Society of St. Pius X, the traditionalist group he had long been affiliated with, in a news release from its headquarters in Switzerland.
The Society of St. Pius X was established in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who opposed the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which denounced doctrinal antisemitism within the church. Williamson was ordained as a bishop by the society, but the Vatican never recognized this ordination and excommunicated him and others from the sect in 1988.
In January 2009, Pope Benedict XVI lifted Williamson's excommunication in an attempt to heal internal divisions within the church. However, this move was met with backlash following an interview in which Williamson made controversial statements regarding the Holocaust, claiming that only a fraction of the Jewish population perished in Nazi concentration camps and denying the use of gas chambers.
Prior to this, Williamson had gained notoriety for his conspiracy theories, including claims about the September 11 attacks. His views on antisemitism were further highlighted in a 2008 article that criticized his endorsement of the antisemitic text, "Protocols of the Elders of Zion." Despite his denials of being antisemitic, he expressed disdain for those he considered adversaries of Jesus Christ, which included some Jews.
Following public outrage, the Vatican required Williamson to retract his statements, which he did not fully do. He was subsequently removed from his position as head of the society's seminary in Argentina and was expelled from the country for remarks deemed offensive. He faced legal consequences in Germany for Holocaust denial, resulting in a fine.
In 2012, Williamson was expelled from the Society of St. Pius X in an effort to repair relations with the Vatican. Nevertheless, he continued to express antisemitic views, including controversial statements regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and traditional gender roles. In 2015, he was excommunicated for a second time after consecrating bishops without Vatican approval.
Born on March 8, 1940, in Hampstead, London, Williamson was raised in a middle-class family and initially practiced Presbyterianism before converting to Catholicism in his early 30s. He attended elite schools and earned a degree in English literature from Cambridge University. Williamson was ordained as a priest in 1976 and served as rector of the Society's seminary in the United States for two decades.
In his later years, Williamson's speeches continued to reflect his controversial beliefs, including praise for Vladimir Putin and virulent antisemitism. Information regarding any survivors has not been released.