A Tribute to Father Yves Normandin (1925 – 2020), Hero of the Traditional Mass in Canada: “We ought to obey God, rather than men.”

 A Tribute to Father Normandin (1925 – 2020) 

by Jean-Claude Dupuis, PhD 

 Father Yves Normandin died on December 30, 2020. He left his mark on the history of the Church in Quebec. In 1975, the humble parish priest of Sainte-Yvette in Montreal became famous for continuing to celebrate the traditional Mass in Latin. Archbishop Paul Grégoire relieved him of his duties for “disobedience.” Fr. Normandin and his traditionalist supporters occupied the church of Sainte-Yvette illegally for six months. In the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965), Fr. Normandin celebrated the Mass of Paul VI like every other priest. 

But he began to question it when he learned that Protestant pastors had participated in the planning of the liturgical reform. He was shaken by such texts as the encyclical Pascendi, Pius X’s letter on the Sillon, Louis Salleron’s study La nouvelle messe [The new Mass], the works of Léon de Poncins and Pierre Virion on Freemasonry, and all the writings of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. His conversations with Fathers Noël Barbara and Réal Bleau convinced him. 

De Mattei - An example of Catholic resistance: Princess Elvina Pallavicini

Roberto de Mattei

Corrispondenza Romana

July 12, 2017

Forty years ago a historical event took place: Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre held a conference on June 6^th 1977 at the Pallavicini Palace in Rome, on the subject “The Church after the Council”. I  think it is worthwhile to recall that event, on the basis of notes and documents I have kept.

           

Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (1970), after the priestly ordinations of June 29^th 1976, was suspended a divinis on July 22^nd of the same year.  Informed Catholics however, had serious doubts as to the canonical legitimacy of these measures and in particular, incomprehension with regard to the behavior of Paul VI who seemed to reserve his censorships for only those who said they wanted to remain faithful to Church Tradition.  In this climate of disorientation, in April of 1977, Princess Elvina Pallavicini (1914 -2004) decided to invite Monsignor Lefebvre to her palace in the Quirinal, to hear his reasoning.

Princess Pallavicini was 63 years old at the time and the widow of Prince Guglielmo Pallavicini who had been killed on his first war mission in 1940.  For many years she had been in a wheelchair as a result of progressive paralysis, but she was a woman of indomitable spirit. She had a close group of  friends and advisors around her, among whom were Marquis Roberto Malvezzi Campeggi (1907-1979), Colonel of the Papal Noble Guard at the time of the corps’ dissolution in 1970, and Marquis Luigi Coda Nunziante di San Ferdinando (1930-2015), former Commander of the Italian Navy. Initially, news of the conference circulating during the month of May did not stir up any concern from the Vatican.  Paul VI thought it would have been easy to convince the Princess to desist from her idea and entrusted the task to one of his closest collaborators, “Don Sergio” Pignedoli (1910-1980) whom he had made a cardinal in 1973. 

Rorate's Ken Wolfe pens Op-Ed on Antonin Scalia and the Latin Mass

Today, the Wall Street Journal ran an Op-Ed by Rorate's own Ken Wolfe, on the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. It's a fitting tribute to a very down-to-earth man who loved the traditional Latin Mass, music and being with the people. 

His funeral Mass tomorrow certainly won't reflect his passion for tradition. But, at least, the world will know how he preferred to properly worship Our Lord, thanks to Ken. 

Scalia the Music Critic and Pew Policeman

Putting on a tie using his car’s mirror before attending Mass—the one in Latin, of course

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10 years without Michael Davies:II- The Extraordinary Life and Times of Michael Davies, Latin Mass Hero - and a list of his works

Michael Davies – “A Writer to Cherish”

Leo Darroch*

Michael Treharne Davies was born on 13th March 1936.  His father, a Welshman, was a Baptist and his mother, who was English, was a member of the Church of England. On leaving school in 1954 at the age of eighteen he joined the British Army as a regular soldier and served in Malaya, Egypt, and Cyprus. There is one comment in his army service records that is of particular interest.  In August 1957 his commanding officer stated that,