As always, Brother, thank you for your wonderful work.

I wanted to add a couple of points to your answer that people seem to miss.

1) Holocaust denial is a sin because it denies the truth, causes scandal and hurts others, but it is not punishable by excommunication. This bishop was excommunicated for disobedience (allowing himself to be ordained illicitly), schism, and heresy (denial the dogmatic documents of Vatican II).

2) All FOUR bishops stated, in a recent public letter to His Holiness, that they accept Vatican II in its entirety and accept the authority of the Pope.

The lifting of excommunication is similar to absolution in Confession: if the person repents of his sins, makes a valid confession , makes a firm purpose of amendment, and asks for forgiveness, the priest or bishop cannot withhold absolution (unless it's a sin whose absolution is reserved to the Pope). With their letter, these bishops have fulfilled these requirements.

The Church is for sinners, how could we not accept a person, no matter how vile his beliefs or actions in the past, who states that he wishes to become a saint? Should we condemn him because he's still a sinner and refuse him the graces of the Sacraments which will help him become better? Being stupid or delusional doesn't exclude lots of people from the Sacraments.

BTW, his acceptance of the discipline of his superior demonstrates his willingness to yield to authority--one of the reasons he was excommunicated for in the first place.

Keep fighting the good fight!
Bill