Reporting from the Vatican on Christmas Day, Cindy Wooden of CNS took note of the fact that, in celebrating the morning Mass, “Pope Leo restored a tradition that had lapsed for 30 years.” Since 1995, three successive Pontiffs— having celebrated the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, which lasted until the wee hours of the morning— assigned another prelate to celebrate the Morning Mass. Pope Leo, relatively young and energetic, was ready and able to preside at both liturgies.

It’s a fair point, worth noticing. But it reminded me of another point that seems to me more significant, as a reflection on papal customs: In celebrating Mass in public at all, Pope Leo restored a “tradition” that had lapsed during the previous papacy.

Let we forget: For nearly three full years, beginning long before his final illness, Pope Francis was never the principal celebrant at a public Mass. Why not? To me, this was one of the most astonishing facts about a tumultuous papacy.