The Vatican Secretariat of State released today a statement about the lifting the excommunications of the four Lefebvrite bishops. A couple of notable elements:1) While the lifting of the excommunications relieves the four from a very serious canonical punishment, "it has not altered the juridical situation of the Society of St. Pius X which, at the moment enjoys no canonical recognition by the Catholic Church." In addition, the four bishops "have no canonical function in the Church and do not licitly exercise a ministry within it."2) Any future recognition of the SSPX has as an "indispensable condition a full recognition of the Second Vatican Council" and of the last five popes.3) For him to be admitted to episcopal functions in the Church, Bishop Williamson must repudiate absolutely unequivocally and publicly his positions with regard to the Shoah, which, the Note says, were not known to the Pope when he lifted the excommunication.