Customer Reviews

Liturgical Revolution: Pope Paul's New Mass

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I read this book about 13 years ago when I borrowed it from Northwestern University (my Loyola never bothered to get it). It is simply the most in-depth, informative, and readable attack on the vernacular Mass I have ever seen. Davies literally goes through the liturgy line by line, comparing it to the Latin Mass, showing just how bad, inept, and sometimes wrong the English translation is compared to the original Latin and how the new Mass deliberately minimized the particularly "Catholic" aspects while introducing Protestant practices. His basic conclusion is that the new Mass is perfectly valid and legitimate, just not very good, a point I rather agree with. If I remember correctly, he also gave examples of Masses gone horribly wrong, and how the old Tridentine rite was designed to prevent such silliness. If you can find this book buy it, or at least read it - it's extremely informative and well written.

One word about Michael Davies. He was (and perhaps still is) a follower of Archbishop Marcel LeFebvre's Society of Pius X. While I have little sympathy with sedevacantists or schismatics, no matter what their cause, he is still a hell of a good writer and his writings are worth reading, but keep in mind where he is coming from.