FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 5, 2009

STATEMENT OF CARDINAL EGAN

Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, today released the following statement concerning remarks made by a member of the Society of Saint Pius X, Bishop Richard Williamson. The Cardinal also addressed the matter on his weekly radio program, “Conversation with the Cardinal,” broadcast on The Catholic Channel of Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

The Cardinal’s statement follows:

“Yesterday, the Vatican condemned in the clearest terms a statement made by an illicitly consecrated Bishop by the name of Richard Williamson in which the evil of the Shoah was questioned or at least minimized. As Archbishop of New York, I add my voice to that of the Holy See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in rejecting Williamson’s words as hurtful, baseless, and outrageous. It is my prayer that all of our Jewish brothers and sisters understand that we in the Catholic community here in New York hold them in the highest esteem, and look forward to continuing to cooperate with them in countless good works for our community and our nation.”