Vatican, Oct. 11 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) is preparing to release a motu proprio extending permission for priests to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass, Vatican sources have confirmed.

The new papal document-- for which a publication date has not yet been set-- would give all priests permission to celebrate the Mass of St. Pius V. This permission, a "universal indult," would replace the existing indult that dates back to 1988, when Ecclesia Dei authorized use of the Tridentine rite under more restricted conditions, requiring the permission of the local bishop.

Seems to me as if this will resolve a lot of tension and defuse a lot of the strange SSPX, more Catholic than the Pope, type of stuff, though of course there will still be those who still think the Pope is a heretic. Which would, I think, make me a radical leftist, liturgically speaking.

Now all I have to do is brush up on my Latin, a project that's been on my agenda for two years. But hey, third year's the charm.

Oh, and once more for the record. I have not been and am not a "fan", if that word could be applied to the Divine Liturgy, of the "Tridentine rite". When I advocate for Latin Mass, it is a Mass prayed in Latin, but according to the "Novus Ordo" (note the scare quotes), possibly with a little sacerdotal orientalism, if you catch my drift. This may surprise some. But it does not surprise me.