Is Archbishop Lefebvre still in a state of excommunication?

Pope Benedict recently lifted the excommunications that had been placed against the four SSPX bishops. However, I do not recall hearing or reading anywhere that the excommunication against SSPX founder Marcel Lefebvre has been lifted, although numerous websites contend that his excommunication was never valid anyway. Do we know why Pope Benedict did not remove Archbishop Lefebvre's excommunication?

I think with other post-mortem excommunications they look back at the original decision and decide it was not valid. With the bishops that he consecrated, their excommunication was lifted as part of the reunification. That's my guess but I am no canon lawyer.

This is, of course, not to say that Lefebvre won't one day be rehabilitated.

It won't be reunification until they recognize Vatican II publicly and officially. Benedict XVI was clear about that in his audience following the lifting of the excommunications and even more so (in the new book) when he talks about the lifting as a canonical issue unrelated to the full acceptance of the society, which will require them accepting fully Catholic beliefs. He views the lifting of the excommunication as a canonical matter only, not a reunification unless they accept VCII. Which, since the head of SSPX immediately (following the lifting) wrote a letter about how they did not make that concession...seems far off to say the least.

So they are not excommunicated but they are still suspened au divinis. Which is serious.

As far as Lefebvre, his excommunication is valid and sill in force. Will it always be...who knows. Since he can never recant his issues it may be difficult since there is clear evidence of obstinate persistence until death.

To return to the Church the existing Bishops will need to renounce core beliefs that make them SSPX, in doing so renouncing Lefebvre's actions. So it seems unlikely any removal of the excommunication or rehabilitation of him will be soon, if ever. Or else the Bishops would not be still suspened au divinis.

Davidnic said:

It won't be reunification until they recognize Vatican II publicly and officially.

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What does it mean to "recognize Vatican II"?

So they are not excommunicated but they are still suspened au divinis. Which is serious.

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Yes it is serious. So is the crisis.

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PilgrimToChrist said:

What does it mean to "recognize Vatican II"?

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To fully renounce Lefebvre's view and statements on it and to accept it as a council of the Church in the way Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI have described it without adding caveat or conditions or circumlocutions.

As this article states:
The Vatican is still holding talks with the SSPX, twice a month, to get them to adhere to what the Vatican wants. It is going nowhere, according to some SSPX members.

They currently accept it, in Feelay's words, as a "Historical fact".

The Vatican obviously wants more than that since the Holy See is firm they are not reunified and still suspended for their refusal to accept it as the Church does.

Basically they are going to have to fully renounce Lefebvre's views at the point of origin of the SSPX.

The SSPX bishops were reconciled to the Church from a state of excommunication because they asked for it in good will and it was granted them as a sign of good faith. To remit Lefebrve's, Rome would have to declare him to have been unjustly excommunicated in the first place--which I doubt will happen since his act objectively warranted excommunication. That being said, after death it is mostly irrelevant since the person has gone onto their reward.

To have their suspensions removed and to have their ministry sanctioned by the Church, they will probably have to accept the Catechism as the Anglicans did. Then-Cardinal Ratzinger explained what that means here:

JIMMY AKIN.ORG: Ratzinger on the Catechism

(basically you accept the dogmas as dogmas, the "sententia definitive tenenda" as such, theological conclusions as such, practical applications as such, etc.)