page_title: Richard Williamson (bishop)
hierarchical_section_title: Richard Williamson (bishop)
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Richard Williamson ist einer der vier Bischöfe der traditionalistischen Priesterbruderschaft St. Pius&#160;X. English: Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of Pius&#160;X.
context_page_description: Richard Nelson Williamson is an English traditionalist bishop formerly in communion with the Catholic Church who opposes the changes in the Church brought about by the Second Vatican Council. He was originally a member of the Society of Saint Pius X. He was subsequently excommunicated; this was lifted in 2009, but Williamson was convicted in German courts of denying the Holocaust and incitement related to those views, and the excommunication was reimposed by the Pope. Due to other actions, Williamson was expelled from the society in 2012 and once again excommunicated in 2015.
  In 1988, Williamson was one of four SSPX priests who were ordained as bishops by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, for which they incurred ipso facto automatic excommunication. The validity of the excommunication has always been denied by the SSPX, who argue that the consecrations were necessary due to a crisis in the Catholic Church. The excommunications, including that of Williamson, were lifted on 21 January 2009, but the suspension of the bishops from the exercise of ministry within the Catholic Church remained in force, except for certain exceptions.
context_section_description: Richard Nelson Williamson (born 8 March 1940) is an English traditionalist bishop formerly in communion with the Catholic Church who opposes the changes in the Church brought about by the Second Vatican Council. He was originally a member of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).  He was subsequently excommunicated; this was lifted in 2009, but Williamson was convicted in German courts of denying the Holocaust and incitement related to those views, and the excommunication was reimposed by the Pope. Due to other actions, Williamson was expelled from the society in 2012 and once again excommunicated in 2015.
  In 1988, Williamson was one of four SSPX priests who were  ordained as bishops by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, for which they incurred ipso facto automatic excommunication. The validity of the excommunication has always been denied by the SSPX, who argue that the consecrations were necessary due to a crisis in the Catholic Church. The excommunications, including that of Williamson, were lifted on 21 January 2009, but the suspension of the bishops from the exercise of ministry within the Catholic Church remained in force, except for certain exceptions. The exceptions were granted by Popes Benedict XVI and Francis as a way to foster dialogue and goodwill, and allow the priests limited ministry despite their canonically irregular situation.
  Immediately afterward, Swedish television broadcast an interview recorded earlier at the SSPX's seminary in Zaitzkofen, Bavaria. During the interview, Williamson expressed his belief that Nazi Germany did not use gas chambers during the Holocaust and that no more than 200,000 to 300,000 Jews were killed by them during the war. Based upon these statements, the Bishop was immediately charged with and convicted of Holocaust denial by a German court. The Holy See declared that Pope Benedict had been unaware of Williamson's views when he lifted the excommunication of the four bishops. He said that Williamson would remain suspended from his episcopal functions until he unequivocally and publicly distanced himself from that stated position on the Holocaust. In 2010, Williamson was convicted of incitement in a German court in relation to those views; the conviction was later vacated on appeal. He was convicted again of this charge in a retrial in early 2013. Williamson appealed again, but his appeal was rejected.
  After a number of incidents, including calling for the resignation of Bernard Fellay as the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, refusal to stop publishing his weekly email and an unauthorised visitation to Brazil, Williamson was expelled from the Society in 2012. After leaving the Society, Williamson affiliated with the SSPX Resistance, who oppose the Society's potential reconciliation with Rome. He has since consecrated Jean-Michel Faure, Tomás de Aquino Ferreira da Costa, and Gerardo Zendejas as bishops in 2015, 2016, and 2017 respectively, meaning that he is once again excommunicated.
caption: Williamson in 1991
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