In a stunning reversal, the Vatican on Jan. 15 lifted from Oblate Fr. Tissa Balasuriya the excommunication it had imposed just one year ago.

The 73-year old Sri Lankan theologian was reconciled with the Vatican after six days of intense discussion with Oblate superiors and theologians in Colombo. In the end, both sides made compromises. The Vatican dropped its earlier demand that Fr. Tissa sign its custom-made profession of faith that asserted the Church cannot ordain women. The theologian signed the same profession of faith by Pope Paul VI he had signed in 1996, but gave up his clause that the statement occurs "in the context of theological development and church practice since Vatican II and the freedom and responsibility of Christians and theological searchers under canon law."

The Vatican turnaround was "very significant," said U.S. theologian Charles Curran. "To my knowledge, this is the first time they have backed away from anything so quickly and publicly. Obviously they gave in to the sensus fidelium. The whole thing was so patently unjust and offensive, they must have realized they made a mistake," Curran said.

If the "sense of the faithful" prevailed, CTA and its members can claim partial credit. Balasuriya's only 1997 U.S. trip -- for talks to 1,500 CTAers in Detroit Nov. 16 and follow-up CTA regional events in Washington and Boston -- added to the international clamor from bishops, clergy, theologians and lay groups for his reinstatement. The same month, a general council meeting of the Oblates decided to send the reconciliation team to Sri Lanka for the sessions that produced the breakthrough.

Fr. Tissa clearly believes the voice of the people has prevailed. He told the National Catholic Reporter he gives credit "first of all to the grace of God and the Spirit operating" and secondly "to immense pressure from all over the world." He thanked everyone for their prayers, and added, "Human rights groups, the mass media, the Internet, E-mail -- these are ways in which the Holy Spirit operates today. This is a new reality in the life of the Church."

In his signed statement of reconciliation, Balasuriya does not repudiate his book, "Mary and Human Liberation," but states: "I realize that serious ambiguities and doctrinal errors were perceived in my writings and therefore provoked negative reactions from other parties, affected relationships and led to an unfortunate polarization in the ecclesial community. I truly regret the harm this has caused."

Fr. Tissa's reinstatement is a victory for theology that seeks to inculturate the faith in Asia. With a Synod of Bishops for Asia scheduled in April, several Asian bishops had said they would raise hard questions at the synod about Balasuriya's treatment by Cardinal Ratzinger's doctrinal commission.