I think he’s probably trying to avoid giving them a cause, because believe me, if he did this, my bishop (in the US) would probably split off too. Still, I think he’s unnecessarily worried, because the heretical bishops could do whatever they liked, but most of the people (and not even the majority of the clergy, I think) would follow them. I think he’s actually refraining from irrating them, wever, because he’s been working behind the scenes on other things that will really flip out these bishops.
Some of these bishops have always been on the verge of schism and hav actually pretty much been living in de facto schism for many years. But he’s working on the problem. For example, while people were fixated on the recent new provisions dealing with moral violations such as child abuse, there was a lot more in those laws dealing with penalties for heresy and things like “ordaining” women.
I think the pope means to get serious about this. He’s beginning to call them on it and they’re going to begin to howl. They see the Old Mass as symbolic of a Faith they thought they’d vanquished, but I think he’ll give them a lot more to worry about soon.
Ooops, I meant most of the people WOULDN’T follow them (the heretical bishops).