John Thavis of CNS on Benedict’s ad libbing:

When the pope presided over a Mass in the Sistine Chapel to baptize 10 infants in early January, he was supposed to deliver a sermon presumably prepared by his staff. The text, released to journalists ahead of time, was nothing special. Maybe that’s why the pope pitched it.

Instead, he stood beneath Michelangelo’s fresco of the "Last Judgment," looked out at the small congregation of parents and relatives, and began, "Just what happens in baptism?" Then he extemporized on the topic for 16 minutes — twice the length of his planned homily.

The Vatican press office, meanwhile, sent out an urgent disclaimer telling reporters to ignore the prepared text.