A dear friend of mine whose parents were both Holocaust survivors asked me the other night: Why did Pope Benedict lift the excommunication order of a hateful, clearly deranged Holocaust-denying bishop? For a man as smart as the pope, it seems a astonishingly thoughtless act, one for which the consequences could’ve been easily predicted. This story offers some, but certainly not enough, explanation.

The New York Times reports today: VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI, meeting with Jews in an effort to mend fences after lifting the excommunication of a schismatic bishop who has publicly denied the scale of the Holocaust, said Thursday that the Catholic Church was “profoundly and irrevocably committed” to rejecting anti-Semitism…The rest of the story is here.

Update:Boston Globe reports: Pope meets Jews, says denial unacceptable. Full story here.