The Once and Future Roman Rite

Returning to the Traditional Latin Liturgy After Seventy Years of Exile

By: Peter A. Kwasniewski

Narrated by: Kevin O'Brien

Length: 18 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

In his latest book, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski argues that ever since the new liturgical books following the Second Vatican Council came into force, Roman Catholic faithful have suffered the effects of a hasty and far-reaching reform permeated with nominalism, voluntarism, Protestantism, rationalism, antiquarianism, hyperpapalism, and other modern errors. Man is not master over divine liturgy, Dr. Kwasniewski emphasizes; rather, all of us are called to be stewards of the sacred, from the lowest-ranking layman to the pope himself.

Dr. Kwasnieski shows that sacred tradition is the guiding principle for all authentic Christian liturgy, which originates from Christ and is guided by the Holy Spirit throughout the life of the church. His principal thesis in this work is that the prominent identifying traits of the classical Roman Rite—and indeed of all traditional rites, Eastern and Western—are absent from the Novus Ordo, estranging it from their company and making it impossible to call it “the Roman Rite”.

To respond to this crisis of rupture, Dr. Kwasniewski calls for a full return to the traditional rite, the Roman Rite in its robust, perennial richness, for which no special permission is or could ever be needed—as exposited by Pope Benedict XVI.

Fidelity to the traditional Latin liturgy is, at its root, fidelity to the Roman Church and to Christ Himself, who has lovingly inspired the growth and perfection of our religious rites for 2,000 years. This awe-inspiring gift of tradition allows us to taste, even now, the banquet of the promised land of heaven.

©2022 Peter A. Kwasniewski (P)2022 TAN Books

The truth be told

The more I become familiar with the traditional Latin mass, the more I realize how much we have been robbed of our great spiritual heritage, and how necessary it is to return to it. This book challenged me and at times made me angry, but equally determined to seek to worship in the usus antiquor.

Essential read for any Catholic

Peter K’s work is an essential read for any catholic whether they attend a Latin Mass or the New Mass. Peter’s work is well balanced. His grace and strength is revealed in his capacity to powerfully insist on the integral place of the ancient Roman Rite in Catholic worship while remaining charitable and respectful to our Holy Fathers Popes Benedict XVI and JPII. Peter rejects hyper-trad antiquarianism while also rejecting the hyper-papalist tinkering with the liturgy as if it is the play thing of popes instead of the treasure of the whole Church future, past, and present. He is able to maintain this balance by locating genuine catholic principles expounded especially by St. Vincent of Lerins et al. which protect from papal rule-by-command or a rigid and lifeless antiquarianism. Such a principle is present in Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum when he clearly taught the catholic doctrine that what was once held sacred cannot be considered harmful or entirely done away and further insisting that the ancient Roman Rite was never abolished and that priests in principle do not need permission to celebrate it. If you’re catholic you must read this book to fully appreciate our present situation in the church and how we navigate through it.

Wonderful

This was a wonderful read. I did not agree with every point made, but the vast majority of the arguments were beautiful.
I hope that every Catholic may read this book with an open, but critical, mind.

Essential Reading for Catholics

This book is well-researched and well-written. It may have derailed the deterioration of traditional Catholic worship had it been written and received in 1970s.