This morning, Italy woke up to a lot of talk about the possibility that the Traditional Rite of the Mass will be freed. Andrea Tornielli says that a Motu Proprio is ready, lacking "only" the Pope's signature.
Three updates: read below.
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Update (1333 GMT) NewCatholic
Update (1333 GMT) NewCatholic
The main excerpts of the Tornielli article in today's Il Giornale:
The Latin Mass Returns - Pope's decree soon
Andrea Tornielli
Rome
The text is ready, lacking only the signature of the Pope. Benedict XVI could publish a "Motu proprio" even before the end of 2006, with which the use of the pre-Conciliar Missal is liberalized, thus allowing groups of faithful to ask for the celebration of the old Mass without receiving negative answers, often unmotivated, from the singular bishops. The document shall "rehabilitate" the Mass said of Saint Pius V, celebrated in the Latin Catholic Church up to 1969 and never declared abrogated, defining it as an "extraordinary" universal rite, alongside the ordinary Roman Rite, which is the post-Conciliar one.
...
After having consulted the cardinals of the Roman Curia and having posed the question even to the consistory of past February, affirming that the theology of the Tridentine Mass cannot be defined as "reductive", Benedict XVI has charged Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, Prefect of Clergy and president of the Ecclesia Dei Commission of proceding [with the text]. A first draft of the text was thus written, which the Pope then sent to the Congregation for Divine Worship. Here the road of the decree, due to some internal resistance at the Dicastery, was made more difficult: a minimal number of solicitating faithful was considered, initially set at 100, then lowered to 30, and the references to liturgical abuses were removed from the draft. The text was thus returned to the Pontiff and to Ecclesia Dei. Other than Castrillón, Cardinal Julián Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative texts, was also involved in the crafting of the text.
The "Motu proprio" for the liberalization of the new [sic] Missal, a measure which finds notable resistance inside and outside the Roman Curia, should also ease the gathering into full communion with the Lefebvrists of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X, who have always fought for it. Obviously, if the Pope signs it, as he seems bent on doing, it will not mean that the simple faithful will find the Mass celebrated in the old way the very next day. It will be necessary to harmonise the desires of the Traditionalist faithful with those of the other parishioners.
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Update 2 (1350 PM)NewCatholic:
Other Italian newspapers and agencies covering the matter today:
La Stampa (Marco Tosatti)
La Repubblica (also mentioning The Times' article...)
ADNKronos
Il Resto del Carlino, La Nazione, Il Giorno
and others...
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Update 3 (1830 GMT)
For those who still had any doubts about the document itself, the report from the news agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops leaves none:
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Comment (1425 GMT) Al Trovato & NewCatholic:
Many English-language news sources are spreading the news, but, naturally, the explosion in Italian news sources sharing details on the news regarding the Motu Proprio is what is truly significant. Two first-rate Vaticanists, Andrea Tornielli and Marco Tosatti, from two major Italian newspapers, confirm the news and add many details of the process leading to the (now quite probable) document. As we said in the first "rumor wave", last April, the lack of news from these usually able Italian journalists who cover the Vatican every single day made the rumors seem doubtful -- as indeed they were.
We added the same caveat in recent notes (here). Today, this condition of "believability" has been fulfilled. We are dealing with more than simple rumors.
Nevertheless, as Tornielli mentions, the Holy Father has probably not signed the document yet. As we have been here before, let us redouble our prayers and devotions, especially the Most Holy Rosary: the enemies within the very Vatican walls will not digest such a huge defeat quietly.
Update 2 (1350 PM)NewCatholic:
Other Italian newspapers and agencies covering the matter today:
La Stampa (Marco Tosatti)
La Repubblica (also mentioning The Times' article...)
ADNKronos
Il Resto del Carlino, La Nazione, Il Giorno
and others...
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Update 3 (1830 GMT)
CONFIRMED
For those who still had any doubts about the document itself, the report from the news agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops leaves none:
A direct confirmation from a bishop to the "official" American Catholic news agency.
Canadian Archbishop James Weisgerber of Winnipeg, Manitoba, told Catholic News Service Oct. 10 that Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, head of the Congregation for Clergy, had spoken briefly to Canadian bishops about the expected step.
__________________
Comment (1425 GMT) Al Trovato & NewCatholic:
Many English-language news sources are spreading the news, but, naturally, the explosion in Italian news sources sharing details on the news regarding the Motu Proprio is what is truly significant. Two first-rate Vaticanists, Andrea Tornielli and Marco Tosatti, from two major Italian newspapers, confirm the news and add many details of the process leading to the (now quite probable) document. As we said in the first "rumor wave", last April, the lack of news from these usually able Italian journalists who cover the Vatican every single day made the rumors seem doubtful -- as indeed they were.
We added the same caveat in recent notes (here). Today, this condition of "believability" has been fulfilled. We are dealing with more than simple rumors.
Nevertheless, as Tornielli mentions, the Holy Father has probably not signed the document yet. As we have been here before, let us redouble our prayers and devotions, especially the Most Holy Rosary: the enemies within the very Vatican walls will not digest such a huge defeat quietly.
