Recently, two statements have been issued by the Vatican that have met with many and varied reactions.  On June 29, 2007, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued some responses to questions on the nature of the Church. Then, on July 7, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued a Moto Proprio (meaning "from his own hand") liberalizing the usage of the Tridentine Mass. I'd like to offer a few comments on both of these documents.
When I read Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church,

www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations
/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_
responsa-quaestiones_en.html

I thought to myself, "Why all the fuss?" The document says nothing new. The nature of the Church is explained in the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) and in post-conciliar decrees and encyclicals. The understanding of this teaching has evolved over the centuries, but the teaching remains what it has always been. However, even though the clarifications say nothing new, they do stir up some controversy because not all Christians understand the nature of the Church as Catholics do. 
Essentially, the document explains the Vatican II expression that the one Church of Christ "subsists in" the Catholic Church. This carefully chosen expression means that there are numerous elements of sanctification and of truth which are found outside the visible structure of the Catholic Church, yet the fullness of sacramental grace can only be found in the Catholic Church's seven sacraments.  Simply put, this means that other Christian churches and ecclesial communions, insofar as they possess elements of sanctification and truth, can be instruments of salvation. Many secular news reports totally misunderstood this document. In fact, they indicated that is said just the opposite of what it said. A person who is not a Catholic can certainly be saved, yet the means of salvation come through the merits of Jesus Christ who instituted the Church's seven sacraments to pass on that sanctifying grace to each generation. 
Pope Benedict XVI's liberalization of the usage of the Roman Missal issued by Pope Pius V (the Tridentine Mass) has elicited some comments that the Church is moving backwards, reverting to the Latin Mass. In actuality, celebrating Mass in Latin has always been allowed. The Second Vatican Council allowed for the use of the vernacular in addition to Latin. Latin remains the official language of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church.
The Second Vatican Council called for, and Pope Paul VI promulgated, the novus ordo, which is the Mass that we, and most Catholic parishes throughout the world, use regularly. This novus ordo (new order) of the Mass may be celebrated in Latin, English, or any other language. Or, as often happens, some parts may be in Latin and other parts in the vernacular. A beautiful example of this inclusiveness was the recent Mass of Welcome for Archbishop Nienstedt at the Cathedral of St. Paul. While most of the Mass parts were in English, there were several other languages represented, including Latin, Spanish, Hmong, and Vietnamese.
Up until now (or September 14, 2007, the date of implementation) the Tridentine Mass was only allowed with special permission of the bishop.

In our Archdiocese, the Archbishop has allowed its usage at St. Augustine's Church in South St. Paul.
Now, there will be no special permission needed to use the Tridentine Mass. Any priest can use this order of Mass without special permission. 

The decree states that, in parishes where there is "a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition," a pastor should grant their request. It also states that "priests who use this Missal should be qualified to do so." I, for one, am not qualified! I learned to celebrate the Mass of the novus ordo (new order) in 1980, and I love it. I love the simplicity, the beauty, and the straightforward flow of the novus ordo.
But, I am also very happy that those Catholics who love the older Mass will have more access to it. Since it is already available in our Archdiocese, at St. Augustine's, I don't foresee that many other parishes in our Archdiocese will offer it. I believe that there is a greater desire for it in many other dioceses throughout the world.   
The pope is very clear that the novus ordo remains the ordinary way that Mass is celebrated in the Roman Rite. He also hopes that, with this wider permission for the older Mass, Catholics who have a deep love for the beauty of that liturgy will feel more welcome, and this will deepen the unity of the Church. He also hopes that the beauty and dignity of this order of the Mass will contribute to the enhancement of the novus ordo's beauty and dignity. I encourage you to read the document, as well as the Holy Father's accompanying letter. (Found at www.ewtn.com;   just click on the icon on the homepage.)
The issuance of these latest documents, and the misunderstandings that have resulted, illustrate the great need we have for catechesis in the Catholic Church. It's important that we get our news about what the Church teaches from the original sources. Very often, the accounts that we read in the secular news media are incomplete, biased, or even erroneous. With the internet, we can easily find the actual document and read it ourselves. Also, we all need continually to study our faith. Whether we have a degree in theology, or we haven't taken any class about the faith since our Confirmation, we all need regularly to update our understanding of our precious faith. 
Here at St. John's, we plan to offer some adult catechesis classes this fall, particularly in the areas of ecclesiology (the nature of the Church) and liturgy. There are so many opportunities to learn what the Church teaches. Coming up at St. John's in the next few months: JustFaith, Theology of the Body for Adults (and Teens), Bible Study, Catholic Apologetics, Catechism Café, and more. Stay tuned.

IMPORTANT NOTE! Please join me at a Farewell Reception  for Anne Marie Bartlett on Sunday, August 5, in St. Joseph Hall after the 9:30 a.m. Mass. For the past seven years, Anne Marie has served us at St. John's, in the broader New Brighton community, and beyond as our Pastoral Minister & Social Justice Coordinator. She is a social justice champion!