I would just be happy to see a Pope at least make it more of an available option to go to the Tridentine (Latin) Mass. It has been so squashed for years since Vatican II, the Bishops in the US for a long time had completely banned it, as had bishops in many other countries (only last year was the first time the Latin Mass was done since the early 70s in Rome, at St. Mary Major). Pope John Paul II did declare that it was still legitimate to practice, but failed to reign in the bishops in this regard who tried to eliminate it in their dioceses--as many of the current bishops came of age in the priesthood under John XXIII and Paul VI. I'll give you a perfect example of this. I live in Kentucky, under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Owensboro. Up until four years ago, the monasteries and Friaries in the region (Fathers of Mercy, Gethsemane, etc) did the latin mass regularly open to the public. Well just four years ago, in matters relating to worship by the public, Bishop McRaith (who b/c he's a priest I'll limit my criticisms to saying that he's a dictator) he did not want the traditional Mass observed or available for public attendance--now the monasteries are supposed to be under direct control of the Governor General for their Order, who is headquartered at the Vatican, but I guess they have not moved on this one to protect the independence of the monastical orders. I felt the spirit more at the traditonal mass, felt like it was more sacred, than what is refered to by many traditonalists as the Novus Ordo Mass, what I refer to as the New Mess. But bishops need to be reigned in more in this regard.
I could almost understand optional celibacy for priests if it would eliminate the sex abuse/pedophile scandals and the vocations crisis, but let's just lay the problem where it really belongs--Vatican II.
My solution to the option for the Tridentine Mass is to establish a Tridentine Rite, similar to an Eastern Rite, under a Patriarch who would report to the Pope. In such an arrangement, decisions about traditional worship would be out of the hands of the local bishop.
I don't think the critical mass is yet there to promote such an idea, but it would alleviate these battles between traditionalists and bishops who don't want the Tridentine Mass in their dioceses.
I could almost understand optional celibacy for priests if it would eliminate the sex abuse/pedophile scandals and the vocations crisis, but let's just lay the problem where it really belongs--Vatican II.
The single worst sexual abusers were men trained and ordained in the pre-Vatican II Church. The problem was more cultural than religious.
We would have had sexual abuse issues even without Vatican II.