VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI has approved a document that relaxes restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass used by the Roman Catholic Church for centuries until the modernizing reforms of the 1960s, the Vatican said Thursday....
Benedict's move is widely seen as an attempt to reach out to an ultra-traditionalist and schismatic group, the Society of St. Pius X, and bring it back into the Vatican's fold. ...
Some cardinals and bishops, particularly in France -- where Lefebvre's group is strong -- have objected publicly to any liberalizing of the old rite, saying its broader use could lead to divisions within the church, and could imply a rejection of other Vatican II teachings.
Other concerns have come from groups involved in Christian-Jewish dialogue, because the Tridentine rite contains prayers that some non-Christians find offensive. The Tridentine liturgy predates the landmark documents from Vatican II on improving relations with Jews and people of other faiths....
Benedict has made clear for years that he greatly admires the Tridentine rite and has already incorporated Latin into Masses at St. Peter's Basilica....
''I am of the opinion, to be sure, that the old rite should be granted much more generously to all those who desire it,'' then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said. ''It's impossible to see what could be dangerous or unacceptable about that.''
Where is Tom Lehrer when we really need him?
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