Pope To Celebrate Mass Tomorrow Facing the Altar

I have taken a break from my campaigning for Huckabee on the net to look at Catholic news. There are several items of major interest. In a move that no doubt be noticed and especially by people that like more traditional liturgy the Pope will be doing something interesting tomorrow. I saw this on the Ratzinger Forum.

Holy Mass and Baptisms Sistine Chapel, 10:00 During the Mass, the Holy Father will administer Baptism to some babies.

INNOVATION IN TOMORROW'S MASS: The Pope will use the altar of the Sistine Chapel to say Mass VATICAN CITY, Jan. 12 (Apcom)

An unusual and original innovation tomorrow: the Pope will celebrate the Mass of Baptism in the Sistine Chapel with 'his back turned to the faithful and facing the Cross' on the Chapel's built-in altar. A note from the Office of Liturgical Celebrations says, "This year, the wooden platform for a provisional altar intended for Mass [according to the Novus Ordo] will not be used; instead, the altar itself of the Sistine Chapel will be used."

The note continues: "It was decided to do this in order not to alter the beauty and harmony of this architectural jewel, preserving its structure according to the ritual point of view while using a possibility allowed by current liturgical norms. This means that at certain parts of the Mass, the Pope will be facing away from the faithful but towards the Cross, thus orienting the attitude and the disposition of the faithful assembled." The note makes clear, nevertheless, that otherwise "the celebration of the Mass will take place as usual, using the ordinary rite", meaning the Mass of Paul VI. "Benedict XVI will wear some vestments worn by John Paul II, and during the Baptismal rites (for 13 children), he will use a bronze font fashioned several years ago by the he sculptor Lello Scorzelli, who designed the Pastoral staff used by John Paul II [the same design now used for the Pastoral staff of Benedict XVI] ."

By tradition, the Pope will use a golden shell to pour water on the heads of the children. The shell is a symbol of pilgrimage and therefore, of the new way that all baptized human beings begin once they become part of the community of believers." The children to be baptized are those of Vatican employees. Their siblings will present the Offertory gifts. Assisting the Pope tomorrow will be two bishops, the Vice Chamberlain Mons. Paolo Sardi, and the Papal Almoner, Mons. Felix del Blanco Prieto.

Well Well Well. First I am not sure that this is an " unusual and original innovation tomorrow". It perhaps might be for celebrating the "ordinary" form of the Mass but I suppose that in the Pre Vatican II days this was done.

Very interesting and I suspect this will be noted big time in the Catholics Blog sphere.

Update I-
It appears the Vatican Watching Blog Whispers in the Loggia has taken quick notice of this and already has an entry up at Back to the Future

What Does The Prayer Really Say? has caught note of this and has a significant entry on this at Benedict XVI for Baptism of the Lord: Mass ad orientem in the Sistine Chapel . Father Z, who I bet will get about a 200 percent increase in traffic when word spreads of this, interacts with the above article