James Martin, S.J.

The ongoing debate over Pope Benedict s decision to lift the ban of excommunication on four bishop-members of the Society of St Pius X has been split into to general discussions First the currently nbsp more explosive issue of the reception of Bishop Williamson into nbsp full communion with

Robert Mickens the Rome correspondent for the London Tablet has a lengthy article on the SSPX saga in this week s Tablet here nbsp He also sent us this much more nbsp personal reflection which he has allowed us to post here Pope Benedict XVI said at his general audience on Wednesday that the

Today Pope Benedict offered nbsp an explanation of why he sought a rapprochement with the four excommunicated Lefebvrite bishops members of the Society of St Pius X nbsp His remarks are summarized by CNS below nbsp H t to David Gibson at Dotcommonweal nbsp At the same time the chief rabbi

This just in from John Allen at NCR nbsp nbsp Bishop Fellay of the Society of St Pius X has released this statement in response to the controversy over Bishop Williamson s recent remarks We have become aware of an interview released by Bishop Richard Williamson a member of our Fraternity

John Updike one of the great nbsp American writers has died at the age of 76 nbsp Besides two Pulitzer Prizes and countless other awards Mr Updike also received the St Edmund Campion Award from America rsquo s editorial board for achievement in Christian letters in 1997 One of my fondest

Nicole Winfield of AP has the story here nbsp And Catholic News is reporting that Cardinal Walter Kasper called denial of the Holocaust stupid From her story The Vatican said Monday that comments by a recently rehabilitated bishop that no Jews were gassed during the Holocaust were unacceptable

Dave Gibson at his blog Pontifications has a good roundup of the nbsp controversy over the lifting of the ban of excommunication of four bishops from the Society of St Pius X which erupted on the anniversary of the 50th anniversary of the announcement by John XXIII of the Second Vatican Counc

Wow nbsp Here is the statement from Bishop Bernard Fellay superior general of the Society of St Pius X responding to the lifting of the ban of excommunication nbsp It reads in part I reminded nbsp him Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos that we were suffering much from the present situation of the

A surprising and important nbsp story out of Rome today Pope Benedict XVI has lifted the ban of nbsp excommunications of four Lefebvrite bishops members of the controversial nbsp Society of St Pius X nbsp The news was relayed to us by Robert Mickens the London Tablet correspondent who has