. . . the mainstream newspapers are starting to say that Pope Benedict has signed some sort of document that loosens restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass.
The rumor (or scoop, perhaps) seems to have started with Hong Kong's Cardinal Zen, who supposedly told an English priest (Fr. Martin Edwards) that the document had been signed. A resourceful Catholic blog, the Cornell Society for a Good Time, reported it, and the London Times wrote an entire piece based on the blog post.
An Associated Press reporter, Victor Simpson, follows up this morning with a new quote from his own source:
The pope's intent is to "help overcome the schism and help bring (the ultraconservatives) back to the Church," said the official, who asked that his name not be used because the papal document has not yet been released.
It was not immediately clear when the pope will make his decision public, but the Vatican official said it was expected soon. The Times of London, in a report Wednesday, said the pope had already signed the order and it could be published in the next few weeks.
We've been through this all before, so a healthy I'll-believe-it-when-I-see-it attitude is in order. But New Advent will keep monitoring this story, so stay tuned.
