THE ECUMANIACS by REV. GOMMAR DePAUW (1965)

GOMMAR A. De PAUW (11 October 1918 - 6 May 2005) was a traditionalist Catholic priest and founder of an organization that he called the Catholic Traditionalist Movement. 

                       

"THE ECUMANIACS" by FATHER GOMMAR A. DePAUW, J.C.D. (1965)

Who and what are the forces behind the English Mass Texts and other radical new liturgical practices in the Roman Catholic Church? Devout Traditionalist Catholics demand an honest answer. Here it is.

                                        

AS PRINTED ON THE BACK OF THE RECORD LP JACKET: In the record trade, commentary on the reverse side of an album jacket is generally written by and signed by a person with an obvious intellectual or artistic relationship with the principal personality projected in the record. 

Frankly, I don't fit the description. I am not a Catholic, I have never even met the Reverend De Pauw. I've never been inside a Catholic church for purposes other than a wedding or a funeral...with the single exception of having recorded the Christmas midnight Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, December 1944, when Latin was still in style.

Why, then, am I presumptuous enough to write these words of preface to Father De Pauw's epic defense of the Catholic Traditionalist posture? Because I see at work in the Catholic Church the same forces of evil which have already subverted some of the best of our Protestant churches.

Father De Pauw resents and detests what he terms "The Hootenanny Liturgy." He is offended by the egregious downgrading of the altar, the desecration of the statues and the rosary beads. So am I. For a conspiracy which damages any sincere religion inevitably must contribute to the decay of all faiths. 

A Belgian born U.S. citizen, Father De Pauw is descended from a long line of early American settlers, including Washington Charles De Pauw, for whom De Pauw University is named. Father De Pauw distinguished himself with participation in major battles of World War II. Since 1952, he has held the chair of Moral Theology and Canon Law at Mt. St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland. 

If you're a hi-fi buff, please don't become unglued when you hear extraneous thumping sounds in the background of the speech. Father De Pauw is an enthusiastic man. Sometimes he expressed himself not only vocally, but with some resolute hard-banging on the lectern as well. I'm all for it. 

Father De Pauw will  prove to you that the vernacularized Liturgy is not subscribed to by His Holiness Pope Paul VI. He will show you how and why it is essentially a wedge, designed to set the precedent for more drastic changes. 

Again, I am not Catholic, but my own faith has found renewed vigor and dedication in the wise words of this great priest. 

      VICK KNIGHT,  Composer

Born: August 5, 1908 in Moundsville, West Virginia, USA

Died: May 17, 1984 (age 75) in Los Angeles, California, USA