Donations to the Roman Catholic Church Almost Double and Pilgrims Flock to the Vatican in Their Droves as the Ratzinger Effect Takes Hold

Photo of Pope Benedict XVI courtesy of TIMESONLINE

THE TIMES: With donations to the Church from around the world almost doubling and pilgrims pouring into Rome in ever-greater numbers, Vatican watchers are beginning to reassess the two-year-old pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI and noting a positive “Ratzinger effect”.

Today the Vatican will publish the Pope’s “motu proprio” decree allowing broader use by Roman Catholics of the Latin Tridentine Mass — the pontiff’s last act before leaving for his traditional summer holiday.

The move, which amends the Second Vatican Council’s decision in the 1960s that worship should be in the vernacular, is regarded as yet another sign of Benedict’s conservative attachment to tradition and doctrine. Some senior Catholics in Britain have accused him of “encouraging those who want to turn the clock back” and say that they fear the rite will revive preVatican II prayers for the conversion of “the perfidious Jews”.

The Vatican denies this, however, and points instead to the huge appeal of the Latin Mass — and Gregorian chant — not only for disaffected right-wing Catholics but also for many ordinary believers who value “the sheer beauty” of the ancient liturgy. “This is a Pope who — contrary to conventional wisdom — is in tune with the faithful,” one Vatican source said. The Ratzinger Effect: more money, more pilgrims – and lots more Latin (more)

Mark Alexander

Pope to Grant Universal Permission for the Celebration of the Tridentine Rite of Mass
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

Pope Plans to Revive the Tridentine Mass
BBC: Pope Benedict's plans to revive the Latin Mass, which includes prayers for the conversion of Jews, is causing concern among Catholic and Jewish groups about relations between their faiths.

Religious commentators predict that Pope Benedict will issue authorisation for wider use of the Mass - known as the Tridentine Mass - soon.

The Mass was celebrated for hundreds of years before being replaced by a liturgy celebrated in local languages, as part of reforms instigated after the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

The old wording has none of the Vatican Council thinking that reversed long-standing anti-Jewish views in the Church. Vatican II brought about a revolution in Catholic thinking, highlighting the ancient Jewish roots of Christianity and affirming God's love for the Jews.

Concern is now focused on traditional mass's Good Friday liturgy which contains a prayer "For the conversion of the Jews". The prayer reads:

"Let us pray also for the Jews, that the Lord our God may take the veil from their hearts and that they also may acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ."

It refers to their "blindness" and prays for them to be "delivered from their darkness." Concerns over Pope’s Latin Mass move by Kathryn Westcott

Mark Alexander