Apparently Pope Benedict is relaxing the restrictions on celebrating mass in Latin. I hadn't even known there was a restriction, so I am behind the times in Catholicism. In reading about it, I found a new word, indult, which means dispensations allowing priests to conduct mass in Latin. It seems strange to me that they'd need dispensations for that.

If you scan the article I posted about it, you will see a sophomoric Latin pun that I suppose most students have heard; still it's kind of fun: Semper ubi sub-ubi, or "Always where under-where!"

Yes. I've gone to one or two Tridentine masses at St Dominic's in San Francisco. It's a grand, old Neo-Gothic Catholic church, that makes an appearance in Greed by Eric von Stroheim.

"Tridentine" sounds like a new brand of chewing gum.

Semper ubi sub ubi

Evan Morris, "The Word Detective", uses that motto on his site. It used to be quite prominent, but the latest revision shows it in small letters only on his Home Page.

in·dult –noun Roman Catholic Church. a dispensation granted often temporarily by the pope, permitting a deviation from church law.
[Origin: 1525–35; < ML indultum n. use of neut. of indultus, ptp. of indulgére to indulge]

In other words, an indulgence-- first time I've heard such a word outside of a historical discussion on the abuses of the church which led to the protestant reformation!!

Seriously, folks, it's nice the pope has decided not to punish too severely the old fogies who have to sneak like underground hippies to secret locations to hear mass in Latin! (I have a friend who does that regularly...)