Only Michael Tinkler would use “historian” and “cranky” in the same sentence.
Not that I’m opposed to the Latin mass, but it was the suburbs that broke down cultural barriers.
When I moved to Geneva, NY (pop. 14,000) I was amazed to find that there were still 2 parishes *within sight* of each other in winter time (in summer the trees get in the way) which people still refer to as the Irish and the Italian parishes. Yes, one could go to Mass at those churches and do o.k., but remember that sermons were in the vernacular – which in America didn’t always mean English. As was confession.
Now I tend to think that the Paul VI Mass in Latin reverently celebrated would be one of the best things going, but let’s not idealize the cultural barrier situation of the church in America.
Point well taken, Professor. Clearly I wasn’t communicating very well. Bilingual Masses can be wonderful when the faithful is equipped to understand the prayers and readings. I don’t know many parishes who can afford to print translations in the form of a program, even for infrequent bilingual Masses. At the Cathedral they do one reading in Spanish and the English version is printed in the program. The rest of the Mass is in English with the exception of a blessing the Bishop might give in Spanish. That’s marginally a bilingual Mass. The Mass at St. Anthony’s was alternating English and Spanish all the time. It didn’t have any translation in the program. That wasn’t ideal.