Hundreds jeer coffin of Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke at funeral

(15 Oct 2013) Shouting "murderer" and "executioner," hundreds of people jeered the remains of Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke as his coffin arrived on Tuesday for a funeral Mass celebrated by a splinter Catholic group opposed to Vatican outreach to Jews. Ever since Priebke died Friday at age 100, debate has raged over what to do with his remains. Pope Francis' vicar for Rome refused him a funeral in a Catholic Church in the capital. Priebke participated in one of the worst massacres of German-occupied Italy during World War II, the slaughter of 335 civilians at the Areatine Caves outside Rome. Priebke spent nearly 50 years as a fugitive before being extradited to Italy from Argentina in 1995 to stand trial for the 1944 massacre. He died in the Rome home of his lawyer, Paolo Giachini, where he had been serving his life term under house arrest. In a final interview released by his lawyer upon his death, he denied the Nazis gassed Jews during the Holocaust and accused the West of inventing such crimes to cover up atrocities committed by the Allies during World War II. The dilemma over what to do with his remains took a surreal turn on Tuesday when word got out that the Albano Laziale chapter of the schismatic Society of St. Pius X would celebrate the funeral instead. Once word spread that the society would celebrate the Mass, the mayor of Albano Laziale issued an ordinance trying to block the coffin from arriving but was overruled by the government prefect. As the hearse bringing the coffin arrived outside the society's church, people in the crowd slammed their fists and umbrellas on the car and shouted "We are all anti-fascist!" and "Priebke, murderer!" One woman fainted. "This town does not deserve such an offence, such a wound, so strong and painful," said the mayor of Albano Laziale, Nicola Marini. The society was formed in 1969, opposed the modernising reforms of the Second Vatican Council, particularly its outreach to Jews. One of its disgraced members is Bishop Richard Williamson, who made headlines in 2009 when he denied that any Jews were killed in gas chambers during the Holocaust. The society split from Rome after its leader consecrated bishops without papal consent. It currently has no legal standing in the Catholic Church. Wednesday marks the 70th anniversary of the roundup of Jews from Rome's ghetto. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...