The Church must be on guard against self-centredness

The liberal daily La Stampa welcomes the Church's change of stance in the Williamson case but criticises the long hesitation of the Pope. "The question now is why the Pope hesitated for so long. Was he unaware of Williamson's convictions (as the Vatican now claims)? Was he ill advised, and if so, by whom? This raises suspicions that there is someone in the Vatican who delights in the dogmatic rigidity, the restoration of the liturgy and the traditional cult and for whom all else, even Holocaust denial, is just a matter of personal judgement. This conduct betrays a belief in the absolute primacy of the institution of the Church which could lead to the Church's downfall. Perhaps this unpleasant episode with Bishop Williamson is a warning to all men of the Church to be on guard against self-centredness. It is good if they listen to the voices and arguments of those who are outside the Church."

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