Saturday, February 11, 2012

So Who Exactly Is Michael Davies

As a friend of mine pointed out recently...

"We must realize that at that time, Davies must have seemed like a fringe lunatic. However... looking back on it... he was more in line with what Pope Benedict XVI has been doing in his pontificate then anyone could have imagined."

We can say that Mr. Davies maintained the ideals of Catholic orthodoxy in season and out of season.

I would like to include this post from a priest's blog entitled "The hermeneutic of continuity"

Of particular note is the comments that then Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) had to say in a personal note to the Davies family on the occasion of Micheal's death.

I include them here:

    I have been profoundly touched by the news of the death of Michael Davies. I had the good fortune to meet him several times and I found him as a man of deep faith and ready to embrace suffering. Ever since the Council he put all his energy into the service of the Faith and left us important publications especially about the Sacred Liturgy. Even though he suffered from the Church in many ways in his time, he always truly remained a man of the Church. He knew that the Lord founded His Church on the rock of St Peter and that the Faith can find its fullness and maturity only in union with the successor of St Peter. Therefore we can be confident that the Lord opened wide for him the gates of heaven. We commend his soul to the Lord’s mercy.”

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
9 November 2004


Here is a video of a William Buckley's well known television show taped on Apr 22, 1980.  There is a short clip of Davies speaking about 2 minutes and 55 seconds into the show.  You will have to forgive Mr. Buckley who sees on two occasions to know know the name of his own Pope.  So much for conservative Catholicism at the time.  I suppose I was just as guilty of the same kind of inattention... still coming out of the fog of the 60's

Michael, RIP dear friend.  I never had the chance to meet you, but I thank you for the sacrifices you made so that I and my wife and children could learn and love the old Mass.

Eternal rest grant unto the oh Lord!

1 comment:

NCTradCatholic said...

Wow! Thank you so much for posting the link to that Youtube clip. It was striking to see such a young looking Michael Davies, not to mention Malachi Martin. I recognized Fr Champin from that book they gave us at that awful Pre Cana program. As for the oh-so-intellectual host repeatedly flubbing the Pope's name, well, words escape me. I recall Joe Sobran's revelation, years later, of the scorn that man had for simple Catholics who were devoted to Our Lady. What more needs to be said?

And did you catch the link to another Firin Line clip featuring a considerable younger Ron Paul? Heh heh...