Taki's Mag

Sake and the Latin Mass

by John Zmirak

In the 1970s, as Pope Paul VI faced wholesale rebellion by progressives in the Church, he wielded his papal authority instead to persecute the small numbers of Catholics who resisted the most expansive readings of Vatican II. As a flag of resistance, these traditionalists also rejected the new, truncated liturgy which Paul VI had imposed, suppressing almost entirely the rites which the Church had used for well over 1,000 years. In 1970, with initial Vatican approval, French Archbishop Marcel Lefèbvre founded the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) to meet the needs of Catholics bewildered by postconciliar changes—most of which went far beyond what was authorized by the documents of the council. Indeed, so did the liturgy imposed by Paul VI, which bore little resemblance to the reforms called for in Sacrosanctum Concilium—a point recognized in several books by the present Pope Benedict XVI.

World

America First!

by Jack Hunter

When traditional conservatives, liberals and others argue that America’s hyper-interventionist foreign policy is the cause of many of our problems, that we would like to see the U.S. do less around the world is called “isolationist” or worse. But like it or not, Israel and the U.S. are seen as one-in-the-same in the Middle East, a fact that should make Americans uncomfortable given the never-ending instability in that powder keg of a region. Given the recent events in Gaza, perhaps it’s time for a new cuss word when discussing American foreign policy - “interventionist” - a much more dangerous prospect than simply minding your own business.

Rejecting Racialism

by John Zmirak

I must admit I was taken aback by the hostile reactions I received last week for...