10,000+

In fact it's closer to 11,000 at the time of posting. That's how many signatures have been appended in just on one week to the appeal to the Holy Father asking him not to take away from Summorum Pontificum in the coming Instruction. Not bad. The infamous 'What if we just said "Wait"' petition against the new ICEL translation has only managed just under 22,000 signatures in almost three months and it has, arguably, a much larger concern group to draw from.

If you have not signed the appeal yet you can do so here.

We are not amused.

The Pimpernel has it on good authority that this appeal has annoyed some of those who walk in Curial corridors. Not the Holy Father: he listens to his children's loyal supplication. But for those who thought the coup was complete, this appeal is a bit of a problem. It seems to have undone the knots they thought they had tied so tightly.

Gone are the days, Your Eminences and Your Excellencies, when you can drop an Instruction on us and retreat to your risotto. As the dictators of the Middle East are learning one by one, the powers of social communication are potent weapons.

The Pimpernel is not advocating revolution or democracy. Heaven forefend! But he is all for an uprising of loyal subjects who use peaceful means in the face bureaucratic bullies. We await the Instruction as corrected by the Holy Father.