Why is it presumed that Vatican II popes have greater authority than those prior? All the popes favored teaching latin.
You wrote:
“Why is it presumed that Vatican II popes have greater authority than those prior?”
Isn’t it obvious? Vatican II is always - mistakenly - thought of as a Church council which ended the use of Latin. Thus, the pope who opened Vatican II - encouraging the use of Latin - would be thought of having more authority on this particular issue than a pope who lived centuries ago when vernacular liturgy was not the norm.