From the (London) Times:<\/p>\n
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 \u201cRatzinger effect\u201d\u009d.<\/p>\n
Today the Vatican will publish the Pope\u2019s \u201cmotu proprio\u201d\u009d decree allowing broader use by Roman Catholics of the Latin Tridentine Mass \u201d\u201d the pontiff\u2019s last act before leaving for his traditional summer holiday.<\/p>\n
The move, which amends the Second Vatican Council\u2019s decision in the 1960s that worship should be in the vernacular, is regarded as yet another sign of Benedict\u2019s conservative attachment to tradition and doctrine. Some senior Catholics in Britain have accused him of \u201cencouraging those who want to turn the clock back\u201d\u009d and say that they fear the rite will revive preVatican II prayers for the conversion of \u201cthe perfidious Jews\u201d\u009d.<\/p>\n
The Vatican denies this, however, and points instead to the huge appeal of the Latin Mass \u201d\u201d and Gregorian chant \u201d\u201d not only for disaffected right-wing Catholics but also for many ordinary believers who value \u201cthe sheer beauty\u201d\u009d of the ancient liturgy. \u201cThis is a Pope who \u201d\u201d contrary to conventional wisdom \u201d\u201d is in tune with the faithful,\u201d\u009d one Vatican source said.<\/p>\n