Merkel praises Vatican demand that bishop recant Holocaust-denial

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday praised the Vatican's unequivocal demand that a prelate recant his denial of the Holocaust before he can be rehabilitated. She says the move is important and good.

Merkel said that the decision to insist that British Bishop RichardWilliamson distance himself from his remarks was an important step in maintaining relations between Christians and Jews.

The chancellor publicly demanded earlier this week that Pope Benedict XVI clarify the Vatican's stance on the Holocaust after it ruled that the ultraconservative Williamson's excommunication should be lifted.

Merkel said the Vatican's latest statement makes clear that Holocaust denial will never be allowed to stand without consequences.

The Vatican on Wednesday demanded that Williamson recant his positions before being fully admitted as a bishop into the Roman Catholic Church.

It also said Pope Benedict XVI had not known about Williamson's views when he agreed to lift his excommunication and that of three other ultraconservative bishops Jan. 21.

The Vatican's Secretariat of State issued the statement a day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the pope to make a clearer rejection of Holocaust denials, saying there had not been adequate clarification from the church.

The Holy See on Jan. 24 announced the rehabilitation of four bishops excommunicated in 1988 after being consecrated without papal consent.

Just days before, Williamson had been shown on Swedish state television saying that historical evidence is hugely against 6 million Jews having been deliberately gassed during World War II.

Williamson has since apologized to the German-born pope for having stirred controversy, but he did not repudiate his comments, in which he also said only 200,000 to 300,000 Jews were killed during World War II and none were gassed.

Though the Vatican said it did not share Williamson's views, Jewish groups voiced outrage at his rehabilitation and demanded the prelate recant.