How many times can you say no while hinting at yes? It’s a question raised in the latest announcement by the Vatican that it will soon remind some renegade co-religionists that blatant anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial just might not be the image the Church wants to project in this new century.

That’s part of what comes to mind with the news that Pope Benedict XVI will in upcoming doctrinal talks with the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) insist that respect for Judaism is mandatory for being readmitted into the Catholic fold. Pius X was the early 20th century pope (1903-1915) who was, shall we say, doctrinaire in his adherence to the strictest application of traditional Catholic teachings.

But the problems with SSPX are even more fundamental than the obscene denial of humanity’s most documented mass crime. The group rejects the landmark 1964 Vatican II Council, which among other things finally, formally absolved Jews from the murder of Jesus of Nazareth – something that had sparked many centuries of bloody anti-Semitism.

This all also reveals the baffling layers of process in the Church, something which confuses outsiders and is often poorly explained by insiders. Indeed, last year the pope lifted the excommunication decree against the Society of Pius X. The group included the British-born Bishop Richard Williamson, a patent and unrepentant Holocaust denier.

So members of the group – including Bishop Williamson – were no longer excommunicated, but not yet readmitted to the Church. In Jewish terms, that seems kind of like being allowed to wait in the hallway during Rosh Hashanah services so that you can hear what’s going on, but being prevented from entering from one of those pesky ushers.

Despite the Vatican’s explanations then and now as to what all this means, one cannot deny that that the pope has already removed the stigma of belonging to the SSPX without any concessions from its leadership.

It is certainly the Benedict’s business as to whom he wants to be in good standing in the eyes of the Church. However, when it comes to ambiguity with Holocaust deniers, he cannot expect to escape a torrent of criticism from those who are simply at a loss of comprehension about understanding such policies.