I have never before heard of a Pope doing an airplane sitdown with the press. His Holiness has style and hopefully a good food taster, given what he seems to be about to do to the Curia. He is a blessing to the Church - and not just the Roman part.

One thing which this press conference demonstrates (again) is the inability of the Vatican to manage its messaging.  As other commenters have pointed out, the Vatican is a relatively loosely organized body and so inevitably there is going to be some mixed messages.  Nevertheless, one would expect senior people to take their lead from the Pope.  If these recent comments are not a change of heart and reflect the Pope's long term thinking (and everything points in this direction) then I really have to wonder what his subordinates are thinking when they say things at cross-purposes.  It is okay to have differing views, but forcing your boss to contradict you is never a good thing.

The Pope instructs us, as has Our Lady in every apparition, over and over and over again:

(1) Benedict told reporters that the church had to relearn “conversion, prayer, penance.”

(2) Pope Benedict stated: "the apparitions at Fátima had a central message: “Penance, penance, penance.”

We will not listen...it is the same call to holiness throughout time...

Ad Jesum per Mariam

"...His Holiness has style and hopefully a good food taster, given what he seems to be about to do to the Curia."  - Please God he actually does it.  Over at First Things, there's an article by Joseph Bottum saying that Cardinal Sodana "has to go."  Please God Benedict does something like that - Cardinal Law would be another good start.  We need him to ACT.