A Tale Of Two News Stories
Where's all that "obedience to the pope!" I've been hearing about so much of? (Silly me, that only works if you're trashing the SSPX)

Some of article #1 (from Catholic World News) -

Pope Benedict uses older ritual for his private Mass

Vatican, Jul. 16, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI, who recently issued a motu proprio allowing all Catholic priests to celebrate the old Latin Mass, uses the older ritual himself for his private Mass, CWN has learned.

Informed sources at the Vatican have confirmed reports that the Holy Father regularly celebrates Mass using the 1962 Roman Missal.

Shortly after his election in April 2005, Pope Benedict ordered renovations of the Redemptoris Mater chapel in the apostolic palace. The changes included replacing the free-standing altar at which Pope John Paul celebrated Mass with a longer altar, closer to the rear wall of the chapel and with a tabernacle in the center. The new arrangement allows for the Pope to celebrate Mass in the ad orientem posture required for the older ritual.

Some of Article #2 (from the Wilmington Red Star... oops, the Wilmington Star News)

Papal retreat: Vatican II undone
by Paul Wilkes

With last Saturday's proclamation reinstating the Latin rite Mass, Pope Benedict XVI made the most dramatic statement of his still young papacy and, sadly, has charted a path to a Church that the vast majority of Catholics neither want nor need. Most dramatic until Tuesday, that is, when the Vatican proclaimed that you who attend Protestant - well, we can't call them churches anymore - places, to be "wounded," and obviously second-class Christians.

First the Latin rite. At a time when Catholic priests are already in short supply and overburdened, they will be required to provide a Latin Mass for any "stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition." And if they do not oblige, these "faithful" are encouraged to go to their bishop for redress, and if he is not forthcoming, to the Vatican.

Some would say: So what? Who is harmed by reinstating the Latin mass? There has been a battle in South Carolina over flying the Confederate Flag over the capitol building. Who is harmed, advocates ask? Of course, it is not the valor or sacrifice of Confederate soldiers at stake here, but what the flag has come to signify for many people: racism, bigotry, hatred. The authoritative British Catholic weekly, The Tablet, brands the Latin Mass a "flag of defiance."

I happened to be in a small Midwestern parish when the first papal announcement was made and the visiting priest, whose distinguished 52 years in the priesthood has taken him to Africa, Harlem, the United Nations and scores of parishes, was nonplussed.

"Ridiculous," he said. "I felt the Latin Mass was ridiculous as a young priest when I was mumbling into a wall, set off from the people, and it is even more ridiculous now when we've finally reached a point when people are active participants in this magnificent act of God's love."

The priest saw the edict as the latest in a series of efforts to unravel Vatican II practices, starting with the papacy of John Paul II. "They've killed off the best theologians, made the bishops into frightened schoolboys, and created an atmosphere of reporting minor liturgical infractions that rivals any totalitarian government," he said.

And, as for you Protestants, fear not: We Vatican II Catholics join you in our belief that the one, true God looks out lovingly upon us all, wherever we worship. [emphasis mine]

Note: the Red Star trots out self-proclaimed "Catholic expert" and known dissident, Paul Wilkes, every time they want to trash the Catholic Church. Which is at least weekly.