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To: Maximilian; NYer; sandyeggo; RosieCotton; Hermann the Cherusker
Though the statement was probably made in ignorance, her assessment is true of Tolkien's last years. According to Birzer, Tolkien "failed to understand the necessity of the Second Vatican Council of the mid-1960s, especially its acceptance of the use of the vernacular in the Mass." Clyde Kilby, a professor of English at Wheaton College, who helped Tolkien organize his various writings that were going to be used in the Simirillion, described Tolkien's attitude about the post-counciliar period in this way:
"[Tolkien] was appalled that even the sacred Eucharist might be attended by 'dirty youth, women in trousers, and often with their hair unkept and uncovered,' and what was worse, the grevious suffering given by 'stupid, tired, dimmed, and even bad priest.' An anecdote I have heard involved his attendance at Mass not long after Vatican II. An expert in Latin, he had reluctantly composed himself to its abolishment in favor of English. But when he arrived next time at services and seated himself in the middle of a bench, he began to notice other changes than the language, one a diminution of genuflection. His disappointment was such that he rose up and made his way awkwardly to the aisle and there made three very low bows, then stomped out of the church."

However, as Birzer points out, "[d]espite his disappointment with what he viewed as the liberalization of the Church, Tolkien remained a loyal and practicing Catholic." In a post on another thread, I stated that traditionalist Catholics should emulate Tolkien's example in remaining a loyal and practicing Catholic. The preceding excerpt from Birzers' book, along with the rest of the passage it's taken from, is what inspired me finally to start attending the Traditional Latin Mass. I think it is a shame that you can't see the tremendous benefit of Tolkien's "sub-Creation." Speaking of Tolkien's example, I think he demonstrated his merciful attitude and loyalty to Jesus Christ and His Church when he said:
"The only cure for the sagging of fainting faith is Communion. I can recommend this as an exercise: make your Communion in circumstances that affront your taste. Choose a snuffling or gabbling priest or a proud and vulgar friar; and a church full of usual bourgeois crowd, ill-behaved children from those who yell to those products of Catholic schools who the moment the tabernacle is opened sit back and yawn--open necked and dirty youths, women in trousers and often with hair both unkempt and uncovered. Go to Communion with them (and pray for them). It will be just the same (or better than that) as a Mass said beautifully by a visibly holy man, and shared by a few devout and decorous people. (It could not be worse than the mess of the feeding the Five Thousand after which Our Lord propounded the feeding that was to come.)"

37 posted on 11/06/2003 9:50:25 AM PST by Pyro7480 (“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid" - Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Pyro7480
Though the statement was probably made in ignorance, her assessment is true of Tolkien's last years.

Agreed. But once again irrelevant to the Lord of the Rings.

traditionalist Catholics should emulate Tolkien's example in remaining a loyal and practicing Catholic

No one is saying that Tolkien was not "a loyal and practicing Catholic." The question is: "Can one read the Lord of the Rings as an allegory of Christian themes?" Many other loyal Catholics have written books that likewise were not allegories of Christian themes. This is not a criticism of Tolkien, it's a criticism of Joseph Pearce and others who misread the books and try to find something that's not there.

45 posted on 11/06/2003 10:00:34 AM PST by Maximilian
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