Yeah..I can almost see Bp Fellay and Fr. Pflueger in Menzingen discussing this move: " Wow, the Resistance has really been scoring points off the AFD..the "re-branding"...Krah-gate and all the rest...we bettter say SOMETHING trad....and soon..." Or something like that..
Bill-
1) Everything depends on the reasons given for the renouncement;
2) This will be interesting, as this news breaks while the American District has heavily invested in defending the doctrinal declaration, via Fr Themann's conference;
3) I suspect the reasons forthcoming will be along the lines of "Though I possessed authority to take the actions I did, without compromising the principles (or "prudential preconditions," if you are persuaded by Fr Themann's position) of Archbishop Lefebvre, nevertheless this declaration may have gone too far..."
4) Even if the reasons given follow that line, it will be progress, insofar as it will make it much more difficult to concede similar traditional positions again in the future;
5) It would imply a certain degree of humility to make such a renouncement, which would be reassuring;
6) And whether Bishop Fellay came to this realization of his own accord, or was pressured into the retraction by awareness of a growing resistance becomes an irrelevent issue, since his renouncement precludes return to these concessions.
7) Certainly this does not solve all difficulties, but when a step is being made in the right direction, it is best to let that step be made, and direct energies to the other things that remain to be remedied.