Practicing what he preaches

The old saying goes that "if I were Pope..." and presumably you'd make it OK to do something that is now verboten. Of course, what you want to legalize would a priori disqualify you from popehood.

But there are some things the pope can do. Fr'instance, you could free the old Mass because you're already saying it in private.

Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news), 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.

And this isn't just since he issued the document last week, but has done so since he became pope. That's some mighty startling news.

What if this motu proprio is just the beginning? What if he has plans for a further reform of the Missal of Blessed John XXIII (so cleverly named by Benedetto to disarm the shills of V2).

Can we look forward to the Missal of Benedict XVI? We can only hope.

John Edwards: Stopper of Hurricanes

Thanks God we have John Edwards to save us. He has pledged to ensure that hurricanes that occurred two years in the past cannot come around and hurt us again, like Ike Turner showing up at Tina's place on a drunken tear for old time's sake.

As president, Edwards will do whatever is necessary to ensure that Katrina never happens again, including building stronger levees and restoring coastal wetlands.

On the other hand, when hurricanes named Jane and Sue and Francoise and all the rest come around, well, you're on your own.

As for Edwards' 2004 pledge that in a Kerry-Edwards administration that the lame would walk again, that ship has sailed.

"If we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk, get up out of that wheelchair and walk again."

But since you all didn't elect John Kerry, you don't get out of your wheelchair, sorry. The Breck Girl is no all-forgiving savior. You need to come across on your side of the bargain.