Rome - After prolonged criticism from senior Catholics around the world, the Pope has withdrawn his excommunication of Father Tissa Balasuriya, a Sri Lankan theologian who described the traditional view of the Virgin Mary as a docile and obedient mother as a "dehydrated" fantasy of male chauvinists.
Dr Balasuriya (73) was the first priest to be excommunicated by the Vatican for almost 50 years. At a ceremony in Colombo last week, he made a "statement of reconciliation" before the papal nuncio which was published yesterday.
