Lifting of the Excommunications of Four Lefebvrite Bishops

On January 21, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI, through the Vatican Congregation of Bishops, lifted the excommunications of four bishops who had been ordained by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). These ordinations, which occurred on June 30, 1988, were conducted in violation of directives to the contrary by Pope John Paul II. Consequently, all the parties were excommunicated by the him the next day. The Society, founded as a repudiation of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, rejects the ecumenical and interreligious outreach of the Council, which it believes contradicts its understanding of Catholic "Tradition." 

The four bishops—whose ordinations were valid but not licit—are Richard Williamson, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Bernard Fellay and Alphonso de Galarret. The controversy generated by the pope's action was intensified by an interview given by one of the bishops, Richard Williamson, in which he reiterated his denial that the Shoah (Holocaust) had resulted in the deaths of six million Jews in gas chambers.


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# Article Title Date Author
1 Jews worried by Vatican gesture to traditionalists September-16-2011 AP: Nicole Winfield
2 Communique concerning the Society of St. Pius X September-14-2011 VIS press release
3 Traditionalist bishop: Vatican talks show little progress February-22-2011 John Thavis, Catholic News Service
4 New Information about the SSPX episode August-27-2010 John Allen, NCR
5 AP: Bishop convicted for denying Holocaust April-16-2010 Verena Schmitt-Roschmann
6 Reuters: "Bishop Williamson says Vatican-SSPX talks 'dialogue of the deaf'” January-19-2010 Tom Heneghan
7 "Embarrassment for the Catholic Church: Bishop Williamson Unrepentent in Holocaust Denial" January-02-2010 Peter Wensierski and Steffen Winter
8 Bishop Williamson: "Difficult Discussions" April-18-2009 Richard Williamson
9 The Tablet: "German SSPX shuns Pope's updated prayer " April-17-2009 The Tablet
10 Letter to Catholic Bishops on the Remission of the Excommunication of SSPX Bishops March-10-2009 Benedict XVI
11 NY Times: "Vatican Calls the Apology of a Bishop Insufficient" February-28-2009 Rachel Donadio
12 ANSA: "Bishop Fellay rejects Vatican Council" February-27-2009 ANSA
13 Statement of Regret February-26-2009 Richard Williamson
14 Statement of Toronto Area Sisters of Sion February-25-2009 Toronto Area Sisters of Sion
15 Reuters: "German Catholic leader wants Williamson response now" February-15-2009 Reuters: Erik Kirschbaum
16 Tablet: "SSPX and German bishops square up for battle over Vatican II reforms" February-14-2009 Christa Pongratz-Lippitt and Robert Mickens
17 Address to Delegates of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations February-12-2009 Benedict XVI
18 Spiegel Interview with Bishop Richard WIlliamson February-09-2009 Spiegel Online
19 Society of Saint Pius X Distances Itself from Holocaust Denial February-09-2009 Spiegal Online
20 AP: Argentina orders Holocaust-denying bishop out February-09-2009 AP: Debora Rey
21 Reuters: "Holocaust-denier removed from Argentine seminary" February-08-2009 Reuters
22 ADL: "A Major Positive Step Forward" February-04-2009 Anti-Defamation League
23 AJC Welcomes Vatican Statement on Holocaust Denier February-04-2009 American Jewish Committee
24 Note from the Vatican Secretary of State February-04-2009 Vatican Secretariat of State
25 "Double Disaster at the Vatican: Of Governance, and of Communication" February-04-2009 Sandro Magister
26 WJC President Welcomes Vatican Move Calling on Bishop Williamson to Recant February-04-2009 World Jewish Congress
27 Spiegel: "Losing Touch: A German Pope Disgraces the Catholic Church" February-04-2009 Spiegel Online
28 Reuters: "Top cardinal says Vatican botched Holocaust affair" February-03-2009 Reuters: Philip Pullella
29 Statement of Cardinal Francis George, President of US Conference of Catholic Bishops February-03-2009 Francis George
30 "The Unity of the Church is a Great Good" February-01-2009 Gebhard Fürst
31 "The Anti-Semitism of the Society of St. Pius X" January-31-2009 James Martin
32 Interview: "Cardinal Schönborn criticises Vatican" January-30-2009 Kath.Net
33 "It is never too late to Arise!" January-30-2009 Seán O'Malley
34 "Zero-Tolerance for Holocaust Denial in the Catholic Church" January-30-2009 Reimund Bieringer and Didier Pollefeyt
35 Letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI January-29-2009 International Council of Christians and Jews
36 "ADL Welcomes Pope's Condemning of Holocaust Denial and Affirming of Vatican II" January-29-2009 Anti-Defamation League
37 "What the Pope Should Do To Reassure the World" January-29-2009 SWC: A. Cooper & Y. Alderstein
38 Statement of University of Freiburg Professors January-29-2009 Theological Faculty of Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg
39 Open Letter to Members of the Swiss Bishops' Conference January-29-2009 Swiss theologians and pastoral workers
40 Reuters: "Elie Wiesel attacks pope over Holocaust bishop" January-28-2009 Reuters: Philip Pullella
41 CNS: "Pope condemns Holocaust denial, reaffirms solidarity with Jews" January-28-2009 CNS: Carol Glatz
42 Statement Regarding the Crisis in Catholic-Jewish Relations January-28-2009 Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation
43 Statement on the Lifting of the Excommunications January-28-2009 Permanent Council of Bishops of France
44 Talking Points: Lifting of Excommunications of the Four Bishops of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X January-28-2009 SEIA, US Catholic Bishops
45 General Audience: On lifting excommunications; Remembering the Shoah January-28-2009 Benedict XVI
46 Letter from Bishop Williamson to the Vatican January-28-2009 Richard Williamson
47 Statement on the revocation of the excommunication decree January-28-2009 Faculty of Catholic Theology of Münster
48 Declaration January-28-2009 Department of Catholic Theology at Goethe-University Frankfurt
49 Petition: "For the full recognition of the decrees of the Second Vatican Council" January-28-2009 Norbert Scholl
50 Note of the District Superior for Germany of the SSPX January-27-2009 Franz Schmidberger
51 USHMM Press Release on Richard Williamson January-27-2009 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
52 Communiqué of the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X January-27-2009 Bernard Fellay
53 Letter from the Director General of the Israeli Rabbinate to the Holy See January-27-2009 Oded Weiner
54 Communiqué: Denial of the Holocaust cannot be accepted January-27-2009 Swiss Bishops Conference
55 The Lifting of the Excommunication of the Society of Pius X January-26-2009 Belgian National Catholic Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews
56 Lefebvre movement: long, troubled history with Judaism January-26-2009 John L. Allen, Jr., NCR
57 Editorial: Iudicium perversum January-26-2009 Jerusalem Post
58 Statement of the Chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference Subcommittee for Religious Relations with Judaism January-26-2009 Heinrich Mussinghoff
59 Yad Vashem Comment regarding Bishop Williamson January-25-2009 Yad Vashem
60 Healing Schism, Pope Risks Another January-25-2009 New York Times
61 Editorial: Vatican II and the Pope's peace-making gesture January-25-2009 L'Osservatore Romano
62 Letter of the Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X January-24-2009 Bernard Fellay
63 Press Release of the Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X January-24-2009 Bernard Fellay
64 Vatican Acceptance of Holocaust Denier Bishop “Shameful” January-24-2009 American Jewish Committee
65 ADL Disappointed in Pope's Decision to Rehabilitate Holocaust Denier Bishop January-24-2009 Anti-Defamation League
66 Statement on the Lifting of the Excommunications of Four SSPX Bishops January-24-2009 Jean-Pierre Ricard
67 Decree from the Congregation of Bishops January-21-2009 Giovanni Battista Re
68 SVT Television Interview with Bishop Richard Williamson January-21-2009 Richard Williamson