Recently in Italy, there has been a great controversy regarding whether Erich Priebke, a Nazi war criminal, should be given a proper burial. Priebke, who lived to 100, was an SS director during World War II. After the infamous war ended, Priebke escaped to Argentina, where he lived for 50 years. Unfortunately (for him), Erich Priebke was convicted in 1998 for war crimes (murder of 335 Italians, 70 of which were Jews). He had been kept under house arrest for the last 15 years until his death in mid October. Catholic churches have refused to hold a proper funeral for him. Also, Italy’s government was unwilling to host a funeral for the former Nazi soldier. Erich Priebke stated that he wanted to be buried next to his wife in Argentina, but the country’s foreign minister said the country would not accept his remains. Even the town in which his was born, Henninsdorf, also refused to hold Priebke’s funeral and accept his remains. Preibke’s lawyer was asked to hold the Nazi war criminal’s funeral at his home rather than at a public place such as a church by the Diocese of Rome. They stated, “The prayer for the deceased was not denied but rather a different manner for the ceremony was decided.” It had seemed as though Erich Priebke wasn’t going to get a proper funeral until the SSPX (the Catholic Society of St. Pius) agreed to host the funeral service.
The SSPX had stated that they would hold Erich Priebke’s funeral in Albano Laziale, a small town near Rome. The SSPX decided to host the Nazi director’s funeral on the same day which marks the anniversary when 1,023 Roman Jews were deported from Italy in one day. Only 16 of those Jews returned after World War II ended. A ceremony was held in Rome’s Great Synagogue, where one of the last two surviving victims of the Holocaust appeared. Renzo Gattegna, the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, also appeared for the ceremony. He was quite angry that the SSPX decided to hold the funeral for the former SS director on the same day. He said with hatred, “I do not wish to even utter his name, so as not to profane this sacred day.”
The SSPX justified their decision saying that, “A Christian who has been baptized and who has received the sacraments of the Confession and the Eucharist, regardless of what have been his crimes and sins, as he dies reconciling with God and with the Church has the right to have a Holy Mass celebrated at his funeral.” But even then, they couldn’t carry out their plans. As the car that carried Priebke’s remains headed towards the church, protesters had gathered and blocked the car’s way. They started shouting, kicking the car, and throwing rocks at the car until the car was forced to turn around and drive away. Protesters had started chanting, “Executioner.” This news even caused chaos in the United States. Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League stated that, “Erich Priebke was a monster,” and, “He does not deserve the dignity and respect of a proper church burial. His body should be cremated and his ashes scattered at sea, without further ceremony.” Erich Priebke’s body now lies at a military airport near Rome until other plans can be worked out.
