THE TELEGRAPH: The text of Pope Benedict’s Motu Proprio granting priests universal permission to celebrate the Tridentine Rite of Mass has been leaked overnight to the blog Whispers in the Loggia. And it looks as if the prayers of traditionalists have been well and truly answered.
From now on, a priest "does not require any permission" to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass for himself, says the Pope, and lay people can attend such semi-private Masses. In other words, the power of bishops to ban the Rite – in which the priest celebrates Mass facing the same direction as the people – has been removed after nearly 40 years. Holy Smoke By Damian Thompson
Mark Alexander
