Inside Baseball, (Liturgical Side)

Rumors and reports from the Eternal City.

The Pope intends to take advantage of the appointment of his liege man [Card. Cañizares Llovera] to head the Congregation for Divine Worship in order to profoundly reorganise the Commission Ecclesia Dei, of which it so happens that Cardinal Cañizares is already a member.

According to the rumor, which does not seem to be just a hallway rumour, Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos who has long reached the age limit, would cede his post to his current second, a personal friend of Pope Ratzinger, Monsignor Camille Perl, who would be consecrated bishop for this reason. And the Commission would then be attached to the Congregation for Divine Worship, assuming, within the framework of one dicastery, the responsibility of the traditional form of the Roman rite, under the charge of Cardinal Cañizares. [...] This means in any case that the Commission Ecclesia Dei establishes itself in the ecclesiastical landscape. In addition, its anticipated director, Msgr Perl is certainly the man in Rome who best knows the traditionalist world, its ways, its outlines or its detours. He has the ear of the Pope for a long time. On more than one occasion his diplomacy has worked wonders. (NLM translation of original French article)

Curently, the Papal Commission for Ecclesia Dei is an independent body solely concerned with the Tridentine Rite (Extraordinary Form) celebrations worldwide.

The merger with Cong. for Divine Worship, if effected, will be a signal that the EF is no longer 'outside' the normal workings of the Church, or some sort of accomodation to a minority.