What appears to be a serious rumor...SSPX excommunications to be lifted

It is being reported that His Holiness Benedict XVI will soon lift the excommunication of the four bishops of the Society of St. Pius X. The excommunication was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

This link is to an auto-translation of a post by a well respected Italian blogger. It is expected to turn out to be reliable. The auto-translation by Google is not perfect by any measure and the details should be considered possibility rather than reality.

When...and if...it becomes officially announced, we'll have the details right here. 

Update: 1:00 p.m. Thursday - 1/22/2009. Looks more and more like this is going to be a done deal. Another very reliable blogger says:

"Benedict XVI has decided. The decree containing the withdrawal of excommunication for the schismatic Lefrebrists is ready."