Vatican Press Office "non-denial denial"?

Along with many other Catholic bloggers, I reported the other day on the article in Il Giornale by Andrea Tornielli suggesting that a document has been presented to the Holy Father by Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, calling for greater sacrality in worship. (See: Reform of the reform gathering pace and the full text of the article in English at Rorate Caeli's The "Reform of the Reform" is in motion)

Now Vatican Radio has published a report of a response from Fr Ciro Benedittini, vice-Director of the Vatican Press Office has issued a statement which I translate for you as follows:

The vice-Director of the Vatican Press Office, Father Ciro Benedittini, has intervened this morning regarding notices circulated recently on some sites and organs of the press about possible changes in the liturgical field. "At the present" - Fr Benedittini affirmed - "there are no institutional proposals regarding a modification of the liturgical books currently in use."

So the Vatican has denied the reports of Tornielli and others following him? Well not really. Tornielli's article was not about modifications to the liturgical books. He pointed to the question of communion in the hand being "extraordinary", to the possibility of increasing the practice of celebrating Mass ad orientem and of putting a stop to abuses, wild experimentations, and inappropriate creativity.

In the latter connection, he did speak of the "remaking of the introductory parts of the Missal" (del rifacimento delle parti introduttive del messale) - presumably he means the General instruction. This alone would give a window for denying that the books were to be changed and so, strictly speaking, the denial can stand up. But the principal matters mentioned by Tornielli are all perfectly well covered in the existing books.

Forgive me for suggesting that this looks very much like a non-denial denial.