More Smoke from the Thurible

• This Sunday past, 5 P.M. at Fr. Rutler's Church of Our Saviour in Manhattan: Solemn High Mass in the traditional rite of the liturgical books of Blessed John XXIII; absolutely magnificent and, in time, to be regularly celebrated in that glorious church.

• From this week's Spectator, a piece by Damian Thompson:

AN EXCITING TIME TO BE CATHOLIC

Next Friday, 14 September, the worldwide restrictions on the celebration of the ancient Latin liturgy of the Catholic Church will be swept away. With a stroke of his pen, Pope Benedict XVI has ended a 40-year campaign to eradicate the Tridentine Mass, whose solemn rubrics are regarded with contempt by liberal bishops. In doing so, he has indicated that the entire worship of the Church — which has become tired and dreary since the Second Vatican Council — is on the brink of reformation. This is an exciting time to be a Catholic.

(snip)

But in many … dioceses it was still easier to track down a witches’ coven than a traditional Mass. And, depressingly, the one curial cardinal who really cared about these things was heading for retirement.

Only he didn’t retire. He became Pope instead.

Read it all.

Is it mere fortuity the Episcopal Church is plunging into the abyss at the same time the Catholic Church, especially in the U.S., is poised for splendid rebirth and growth? Who can say but regardless, these are exciting, even heady, times indeed.