The Roman Catholic Church said today that an apology by the English bishop who denies the full extent of the Holocaust did not go far enough.

European justice ministers are considering legal action against the bishop, who has been advised by his lawyers that he should not risk travelling to France or Germany.

Bishop Richard Williamson, a friend of revisionist historian David Irving and a traditionalist Catholic whose views on the Holocaust have outraged Jewish and other groups worldwide, apologised uesterday for the "distress" caused by his views but made no retraction of the views themselves.

In an interview on Swedish television broadcast just days before Pope Benedict XVI lifted excommunications on him and three other bishops of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X, Bishop Williamson said there were no gas chambers and that no more than 300,000 Jews died in the Shoah, instead of the true figure of six million.

A spokesman for the Holy See said the statement "doesn’t appear to respect the conditions" set by the Pope before it will allow him back into the Church as a functioning cleric. Earlier this month the Pope said Bishop Williamson must “absolutely and unequivocally distance himself from his remarks about the Shoah if he is to be admitted to episcopal functions in the church."

Religious and educational groups worldwide also said a statement of apology put out by Bishop Richard Williamson did not go far enough.

The Swedish television interview was conducted four months ago in Germany, where Holocaust denial is a crime punishable by prison.

Although an extradition attempt from Germany is unlikely, EU's Justice Ministers are considering legal action Williamson. The European Framework Decision on action to combat Racism and Xenophobia could offer a tool against the priest of the Catholic SSPX, said the EU Presidency spokesman, Czech Justice Minister Jiri Pospisil in talks in Brussels. "Personally I think it's possible, but it must be discussed," said Pospisil.

In a statement to a Catholic news agency, Bishop Williamson said: "The Holy Father and my Superior, Bishop Bernard Fellay, have requested that I reconsider the remarks I made on Swedish television four months ago, because their consequences have been so heavy.

"Observing these consequences I can truthfully say that I regret having made such remarks, and that if I had known beforehand the full harm and hurt to which they would give rise, especially to the Church, but also to survivors and relatives of victims of injustice under the Third Reich, I would not have made them."

Bishop Williamson said he had been giving his opinion as a non-historian. This was "an opinion formed 20 years ago on the basis of evidence then available, and rarely expressed in public since."

He added: "However, the events of recent weeks and the advice of senior members of the Society of St Pius X have persuaded me of my responsibility for much distress caused. To all souls that took honest scandal from what I said, before God I apologise."

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