Was there a reason explaining why? This stuff frosts me.
Confrontation... I suspect the bishops cave towards the progressives because they know the progs will do what they want to do anyway, regardless of what the bishop says. But imagine how crummy they (bishop) must feel inside? OK, publicly there was no brouhaha over whatever the issue was, but you know, in your heart and soul, that you - as a Catholic bishop who is supposed to defend and teach the Catholic faith - just let someone cow you into submission. The progs love the media and the media loves them. Georgetown... the media reported on the dissenting voices and why they were all upset, but I don't recall any media outlet contacting George Weigel or Fr. Neuhaus (who are certainly well known orthodox Catholics) for a soundbite to defend Cardinal Arinze and his defense of Catholic teaching.
There was a thread a couple weeks back. The FSSP was conducting a local pilgrimage terminating at the Basilica. They had written for permission to say the Mass far in advance and had received it. But at the last minute, the day before the pilgrimage, someone in the chancery put 2 and 2 together and figured out that the FSSP would be saying a (gasp) Latin Mass and this would set a terrible (according to them) precedent. So they withdrew the permission at the last minute saying that they would need to apply for a special indult and it would take weeks, etc.