Il Giornale has an interseting article. Apparently in Milan, Italy, the Ambrosian Rite trumps use of the older form of the Roman Rite.
My emphases and comments.
The Motu Proprio on the Traditional Mass? In Milan they say no
On 14 September the Motu Proprio of Pope Benedict XVI that derestricts the old preconciliar Missal will come into force, but in Milan, and in all areas where the Ambrosian Rite is used, it will not be applied. Monsignor Luigi Manganini, Archpriest of the Cathedral and Vicepresident of the Congregation for the Ambrosian Rite communicated this in the last few days to the Deans of the diocese. This decision is in itself unimpeachable, given that the papal document only talks of the "Roman Rite". Certainly, however, in the same Motu Proprio we can find an suggestion of openness and the Pontiff extending his hand to traditionalists, which could have justified a wider interpretation even in the Ambrosian region.
"In those territories of the Diocese of Milan which follow the Roman Rite" [for example in Monza], Msgr. Manganini clarified for Il Giornale, "the Motu Proprio will be applied, even if we have never had any complaints or special requests of traditionalists. However, concerning parishes of the Ambrosian Rite, which is an autonomous with its own head in the person of the Archbishop of Milan, since in these years we have not encountered any particular requests, we do not deem it necessary that they come under the provisions of the Motu Proprio. [So… this fellow gets to decide where a PAPAL document for the Universal Church will be applied. I see.] In Milan, since 1988, there is a church at the Gentilino where every Sunday the old liturgy is celebrated. That will continue." "In the Pope’s document", Manganini concludes, "there is mention of the necessity that there be a stable group which truly follows the spirituality [No, that is not what the Motu Proprio says.] that is connected with the old rite. The faithful at the Gentilino really do not appear to me to be any such group." [Again, this guy doesn’t get to decide these things. Pastors of parishes can, but not him.]
Nicola De Grandi, one of the most faithful attendees of the Sunday Mass at the Gentilino, does not agree: "Monsignor Manganini does not plan to implement the conditions established by the Motu Proprio because, he claims, there is so far no stable group. So he wants to make sure that no stable group forms so as to avoid applying the conditions of the Motu Proprio" [That’s what it looks like to me, too.]
Degrandi also notes that the "stable group" of faithful that is required in the Motu Proprio "concerns the regular Masses scheduled in the Parishes".
"However, the Papal text shows clearly that the priests are also free to celebrate outside these schedules -even if faithful are present- without asking for any permission"
As some will remember, a month ago it was Carlo Maria Card. Martini, Archbishop Emeritus of Milan, who distanced himself in a way from the papal decision in the pages of Sole 24 Ore, making it clear that he would not celebrate in the old style and that "the bishop cannot multiply celebrations".
When St. Pope Pius V issued the editio princeps of the Missale Romanum he said in his document of promulgation Quo primum that even in those regions where an old local rite could be retained (such as remains the case even today in Milan), no priest could be denied the use of the Missale Romanum if he wished to use it.
Thus, this fellow’s view strikes me as being far more rigid, harsher, than St. Pius V ever was.
I wonder if today it is the case that priests of Milan can chose if they wish to use the Missale Romanum or if they are constrained to use only the Missale Ambrosianum. I bet they are free to use the Roman Rite if they want. If that is the case, since there are two uses of one Roman Right, and priests of the Latin Church (which includes Milan) can use either use, therefore, priests in the Ambrosian region ought to be able to choose to make use of either the older or newer Roman Missal.
