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September 08, 2008

Latin was discarded; the celebrant about-faced; laymen were permitted to make themselves heard from the sanctuary; choirs were disbanded in favor of community sings. My God, it was beautiful! Or at least it would be, as soon as a few problems were worked out.... By now, however, the evidence indicating the current state of the liturgy is so overpowering that only a cleric could remain unconvinced.... So, you ask, what can be done about it? Bring back the Latin Mass! However, I realize we can never go back...but surely something can be done to recover some small part of the enchantment that is so patently missing from the Mass today.

—Dan Herr, “Stop Pushing!” in The Critic, July 1974

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