In the years since Vatican II, the Catholic Church has traveled a great distance in its relationship to Judaism and its relations with the Jewish people. At Vatican II, contemporary Jews were absolved from blame for the crucifixion of Jesus and the Jews from deicide in general. Pope John Paul II continued this hopeful journey by visiting a synagogue in Rome, recognizing Israel, visiting Israel, and passionately condemning anti-Semitism throughout his papacy.

In light of these positive developments, the decision of Pope Benedict to revoke the excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson was troubling. It was either done in haste or without due diligence or worse. That said, it has been reassuring to see the outpouring of condemnation from the Catholic world, particularly in Germany, once the Holocaust denial of Williamson became known. We applaud the statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops calling Williamson's Holocaust denial "deeply offensive and utterly false."

From a Minnesota perspective, however, the matter does not end at this point. As reported, Williamson was the Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary (of the Society of Saint Pius X) in Winona from 1983-2003, according to its website. During that time, Williamson denied the Holocaust; blamed the Jews for destroying the Catholic Church; and championed the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion"-- a Czarist forgery of a fabricated plot of Jews to rule the world. In a letter dated Feb. 1, 1991, posted on the seminary's website about the first Gulf War, Bishop Williamson commented, "...until they [the Jews] re-discover their true Messianic vocation, they may be expected to continue fanatically agitating, in accordance with their false messianic vocation of Jewish world-dominion, to prepare the Anti-Christ's throne in Jerusalem." As a result of this and other rhetoric, the following questions come to mind:

• Are these the views of the seminary?

• Are seminarians exposed to these views?

• Did Williamson preach these views at the seminary?

• Does the seminary repudiate these views of Williamson?

It is our hope that a frank discussion will ensue with the seminary over these issues.

STEVE HUNEGS, MINNEAPOLIS, IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA AND THE DAKOTAS.