Breaking News from the Vatican

There have been rumours for some time, but this looks like the clearest statement ever, making it almost a sure thing: the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship has pretty clearly stated that the Tridentine mass—the old Latin Mass—is on its way back. He would be, next to the Pope, the ruling authority on the matter. The only way this could not happen now is a Papal veto--very unlikely.

It looks as though the plan is to allow both the Tridentine and the New Mass (Novus Ordo) to be celebrated freely as preferred by each local parish and parish priest.

I think that's the best decision. Obviously, many Catholics have never been happy with the loss of the old Latin Mass, this becoming a stumbling block for their faith. If the church went completely back to the Tridentine rite, though, it would be traumatic now for a large number of people who have grown quite comfortable with the Novus Ordo.

There seems to me to be no reason why we cannot have two different Latin rites, just as the church embraces dozens of non-Latin rites. The mass is the mass.