"The Same Again, Please" (part 2)

 

Saintly priest celebrating Mass

 
The following excerpt from an article published in the November, 1962 Spectator by Evelyn Waugh is taken from "A Bitter Trial," which mainly concerns the correspondence between Waugh and Cardinal Heenan on the post- Vatican 2 changes to the liturgy:

"There is a party among the hierarchy who wish to make superficial but startling changes in the Mass in order to make it more widely intelligible.  The nature of the Mass is so profoundly mysterious that the most acute and holy men are continually discovering further nuances of significance.  It is not a peculiarity of the Roman Church that much which happens at the altar is in varying degrees obscure to most of the worshippers.  It is in fact the mark of all the historic, apostolic Churches.  In some the liturgy is in a dead language such as Ge'ez or Syriac; in others in Byzantine Greek or Slavonic which differs greatly from the current speech of the people."

Evelyn Waugh on the post-conciliar liturgy

                                                              Evelyn Waugh

As you may imagine, Waugh did not care for the Novus Ordo, and greatly lamented its break with tradition.  Waugh also declared the changes to Mass (mincing words for once)  "a bitter trial."   The Ignatius Press has published Waugh's correspondence on the subject with Cardinal Heenan, who largely shared Waugh's view.  More here.

I am a great admirer of Waugh's fiction, and look forward to reading Waugh in prophetic mode.