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Latin Mass

Essay

The Most Beautiful Thing This Side of Heaven

From the bell preceding the priest’s entry I was as engaged as I had ever been in any Mass. Only the occasional ‘oremus’ (‘let us pray’), as the priest turned to face us before returning to face the altar, reminded me where we were in the Mass. My eyes and thoughts hardly wandered during this profound and total act of worship.

Roger Watson —

Tribute

Alice von Hildebrand (1923-2022)

Almost a century old, she still took a vivid interest in my philosophical works and in the events, joys, and sufferings of my life. During her last years, the closer she came to eternal life, the kinder and more patient she became, more filled with that deep charity of which her husband had written so insightfully.

Josef Seifert —

Essay

Rediscovering Awe: Antoine Brumel’s “Earthquake Mass”

More than 500 years ago Antoine Brumel wrote a 12-part Mass that allows us to experience the uninhibited spirituality of the pre-Reformation world of the early 16th century. Its construction from a tiny motif of Gregorian chant from the Easter Lauds is nothing less than awe-inspiring.

David Boos —

News

Pope Francis’ Latest Pronouncement Targets Traditionalist Catholics

The traditionalists’ response to the news—and implied impugnation—was irate. Various prominent commentators decried the move, some claiming it to be a petty attack by the Pontiff on faithful Catholics—already distressed by the pandemic-driven closing of church doors and growing economic uncertainty.

Tristan Vanheuckelom —