... and then the fallout

This morning, the Pope's letter to brother bishops was published in Rome, and while the Press Conference was going on in the Aula Paolo VI, the Holy Father himself was meeting with representatives from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. In his address to the gathered leaders, he expressed his joy at the prospect of visiting the Holy Land. Plans for this voyage were announced just a few days ago.

Was it by coincidence that this meeting happened on the same day as the Holy Father's letter to bishops was being published? The letter and its contents are being read and digested by many and the fallout from the Holy Father's words are already resounding, either in whispered corners or through resounding hallways.

Evidence the Tablet's coverage:

• Church in the World: Pope's letter defends overtures toward SSPX
• Full-bodied row in Bordeaux (October 28, 2006)
• Already inside the tent: Benedict and the Lefebvrists (February 14, 2009)
• Now it's up to them (February 14, 2009)

Not to be overlooked in the debate over the lifting of the excommunications, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna. Along with other German-speaking Cardinals, Schönborn has been noted to remark: "A mistake has obviously occurred here. Someone who denies the Holocaust cannot be rehabilitated to an ecclesial office. One cannot but voice a certain criticism of the Vatican for not looking into the matter more closely."

Poor Holy Father. Even as the plans for his upcoming visit to the Holy Land are being completed, there is already concern being voiced over his decision not to enter Israel's main holocaust museum during the trip which he will undertake in early May. Don't worry, concerns such as these are a normal part of the posturing that takes place in the run-up to any papal voyage. The truth of the matter, at least on this score, will only be known in the coming weeks.