Michael Davies was from England and wrote many short books about the sad state of the Catholic Church after Vatican II. He sadly died on Sept. 25, 2004. He is one of the very well known and respected critics of Divine Liturgy before and after Vatican II. I listen to this hour long tape of his talk (no video images) on YouTube. For those who you who have the time, please listen to his talk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o81OocVKih4

But for those who are too busy (or maybe too lazy), I will poorly summarize a few of his points brought up in this talk.

1) The Novus Ordo Mass of Pope Paul VI is valid. But he also points out the liturgical abuses in the way it is celebrated in most of the parishes all over the world. He says that the text and the rubrics of 1969 Latin Sacramentary text were not being followed. He laments the very poor translation from Latin into English that used to be used in the English speaking countries. (So that is one thing that has been improved on since he has died.)

2) Get rid of the Novus Ordo and return to the Tridentine Latin Mass. Although it is valid, he wanted to see the return of the Tridentine Latin Mass because of the blatant protestant heretical elements that have been introduced into the Novus Ordo Mass. He claims that the English protestant deformer, Thomas Cranmer, would have found nothing wrong with the Novus Ordo Mass. But, on the other hand, if one of the English martyrs would come back to a New Mass, they would not recognize it and would run out. He blames the heretical influence in the New Mass on the 6 protestant Periti and Bugnini’s influence on the Councilium.

3) Vatican II did not want the Novus Ordo Mass. Vatican II stressed the importance of maintaining Latin in the Holy Mass and the “Pride of Place” of Gregorian Chant. There are no documents dedicated to removing the sacredness and the breaking of the continuity with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass of all ages. But because of the ambiguous wording, the liturgical revolution happened. The New Mass of Pope Paul VI (1969) came 4 years after the closing of Vatican II council (1965).

4) Liturgy is the “Public adoration to God to build up the Mystical Body of Christ. Vatican II stated this and had no intentions to distort “liturgy” by all the new innovations introduced in the “spirit” of Vatican II. Jesus is really the one doing the liturgy, through the priest.

5) Protestant elements introduced into the New Mass. Eucharistic Prayer II, in the new Sacramentary, could be said by all the people and priest as if they were all concelebrating the mass together like the protestants believe. The community becomes very important. There is no absolution of sins given by the priest at the beginning of the mass, everyone says it together with the priest. Before, only the priest said it, because only a priest acting in Jesus’ place, can absolve sins.

6) Sacrificial aspect of Holy Mass is very well hidden. The altar of sacrifice is removed and a wooden table/altar is used. No more relics in altar (stone), so no need to include the saints. Priests alone offer sacrifice, so with the focus on the communities role, the sacrifice and priesthood are undermined. The Eucharistic Prayer used to be said in low voice by the priest, because he was offering the Sacrifice of Jesus in Persona Christi. Canon II has only one word that implies the idea of sacrifice and instead a Jewish meal grace has been introduced. Before the New Mass, people understood that the Holy Mass was Calvary re-made present among us.

7) Liturgy develops very slowly over a very long period of time. The Holy Church, in the East and the West, received from God through Christ the Liturgy. This was passed on by the Church from generation to generation by adding and subtracting very small elements over centuries and centuries. Where as the New Mass was a huge change from tradition and created by the Councilium and Pope Paul VI. It is a breach with the past. Divine liturgies slowly grow and are not made by men.

8) The New Mass brings division in the Church. Ever since the liturgical revolution of the Novus Ordo mass and the changed sacramental formulas, these drastic changes from tradition, has cause nothing but separation. We now are far away from the Orthodox Christians (Schismatics) because their solemn Divine Liturgy has not changed. (Russian youth are attracted to the Orthodox liturgy because it speaks to their souls even though they never saw it before or during communism) It brings division in the Catholic Church, because every mass is different and in different languages. It brings division between those who love entertaining masses and those who love the sacred Tridentine Mass.

9) The New Mass turns out to be entertainment. Many of the elements of the entertainment world have been introduced into the New Mass. (Clowns, bands, liturgical dancing and jokes.) Instead of celebrating the presence of God, it turns the priest and community in on itself trying to have a subjective emotional experience. Pope Benedict addressed this when he lamenting the lost of the sacred and mystery by all the festivity. He asks; where is the Burning Bush, the “Other”?

10) Huge loss of Catholics since Vatican II. Michael Davis observes that so many Catholics no longer go to mass, are being baptized, receiving Holy Communion and Confirmation. He stated that no other business would say “we are doing great the way thing are” when everything is getting worse and worse. He said the bishops pretend that everything is just great while the total opposite is the reality. His final answer to the Churches “self destruction” is to stop the Novus Ordo Mass and go back to just the Tridentine Mass. Since Summorum Pontificum a great deal of hope has been generated.

The original author of this blog passed away in July of 2016. RIP Father Carota.