At the time Richard Williamson had his excommunication removed, the Vatican did not know he was a Holocaust denier. His ordination was never approved by the Vatican in the first place, rather he was ordained in the heretical organization SSPX, which was why he was excommunicated. The reason Benedict removed these excommunications was to restore peace with the ultra-traditionalists who reject the Second Vatican Council, in much the same way Catholics have been working to restore peace with other Christians who do not accept the Catholic orthodoxy. Such ecumenism is usually viewed as progress, but anti-Catholic critics have continually tried to present this as if Benedict condones Holocaust denial, which is disingenuous, as he has condemned those views and suspended Williamson's episcopal authority until he recants.<p>The decision not to meet with the singing priest was not entirely "bad business" because by condoning clergy who perform pop-star renditions of the Mass you isolate the many more conventional Catholics who prefer some solemnity in their liturgy, and find such shows disrespectful to a sacred institution. There have been many such abuses since the Novus Ordo Mass began and Benedict had been trying to tighten up on them.<p>Although the author seems to be suggesting that the Vatican start a bank for the sake of humor, there actually is a Vatican Bank, the Institute for Works of Religion. (Edit: I misread)