It has been reported that Pope Benedict XVI has dropped the title “Patriarch of the West” from his list of official titles.
I’m still reading up more on this to understand the decision but in short, it looks like he’s trying to smooth things over with the Orthodox and Eastern Rites. The use of “Patriarch” is of an Eastern tradition, not a Roman or Latin one, and perhaps the Pontiff is saying “it’s your thing. I shouldn’t act like it is mine.”
Another speculation is that he is preparing to allow more growth in the Latin rite. Currently, there are many “uses” of the Roman Rite in existence. Some I’ve commented on before, like the Anglican Use or the Zaire Use. In either cases, these are simply adaptations of the Roman Rite in which the Pope has liturgical control and duty to maintain. If he raises other prelates to a “Patriarch” role, he could give them the ability to impact their own liturgies, for example the Church in Africa.
Does this mean he will be seeking to drop the titles from the other Latin-rite prelates who have the title? There are only a handful but nevertheless.