Michael Davies (Catholic writer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Treharne Davies was a British
teacher, and traditionalist Catholic
writer of many books about the Catholic Church following the Second Vatican Council
. From 1992 to 2004 he was the President of the international Traditionalist Catholic organisation Una Voce
and was responsible for the unification of the conservative Una Voce America.
, Somerset
, although he was said to be proud of his Welsh
descent. He served as a regular soldier in the Somerset Light Infantry during the Malayan Emergency
, the Suez Crisis
, and the EOKA
campaign in Cyprus
.
Davies was an Anglican who converted to Catholicism when a student in the 1950s. Although an early supporter of the changes from Vatican II, he later supported the French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
, founder of the Society of St. Pius X
, and declined to retract that support after Lefebvre's decision to consecrate four bishops in 1988 against the wish of Pope John Paul II
. William D. Dinges, Professor of Religion and Culture at The Catholic University of America
, describes Davies as "[i]nternationally, one of the most prolific traditionalist apologists".
Davies was also a critic of the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje, which he believed to be false. He was also critical of the liturgical changes that followed Vatican II, which he argued were a result of misreadings.
He died on September 25, 2004 and his funeral was in St. Mary's church, Chislehurst
, Kent. Upon learning of his death, Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI
, wrote:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
teacher, and traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council...
writer of many books about the Catholic Church following the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. From 1992 to 2004 he was the President of the international Traditionalist Catholic organisation Una Voce
Una Voce
Una Voce is an international federation of Catholic lay organizations attached to the Tridentine Mass....
and was responsible for the unification of the conservative Una Voce America.
Biography
He was brought up in YeovilYeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, although he was said to be proud of his Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
descent. He served as a regular soldier in the Somerset Light Infantry during the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
, the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
, and the EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
campaign in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
Davies was an Anglican who converted to Catholicism when a student in the 1950s. Although an early supporter of the changes from Vatican II, he later supported the French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
Marcel Lefebvre
Marcel François Marie Joseph Lefebvre was a French Roman Catholic archbishop. Following a career as an Apostolic Delegate for West Africa and Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers, he took the lead in opposing the changes within the Church associated with the Second Vatican Council.In 1970,...
, founder of the Society of St. Pius X
Society of St. Pius X
The Society of Saint Pius X is an international Traditionalist Catholic organisation, founded in 1970 by the French archbishop Marcel Lefebvre...
, and declined to retract that support after Lefebvre's decision to consecrate four bishops in 1988 against the wish of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. William D. Dinges, Professor of Religion and Culture at The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
, describes Davies as "[i]nternationally, one of the most prolific traditionalist apologists".
Davies was also a critic of the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje, which he believed to be false. He was also critical of the liturgical changes that followed Vatican II, which he argued were a result of misreadings.
He died on September 25, 2004 and his funeral was in St. Mary's church, Chislehurst
Chislehurst
Chislehurst is a suburban district in south-east London, England, and an electoral ward of the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, Kent. Upon learning of his death, Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, wrote:
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.
Selected published works
- The Liturgical Revolution (Vol. I: Cranmer's Godly Order Roman Catholic Books, vol. II Pope John's Council & vol III Pope Paul's New Mass: Angelus Press)
- Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) is a three volume book in support of the French Archbishop Marcel LefebvreMarcel LefebvreMarcel François Marie Joseph Lefebvre was a French Roman Catholic archbishop. Following a career as an Apostolic Delegate for West Africa and Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers, he took the lead in opposing the changes within the Church associated with the Second Vatican Council.In 1970,...
, founder of the Society of St. Pius XSociety of St. Pius XThe Society of Saint Pius X is an international Traditionalist Catholic organisation, founded in 1970 by the French archbishop Marcel Lefebvre... - The Order of Melchisedech — 255pp, Roman Catholic Books (out of print)
- Partisans of Error (on Modernism) — 109pp, Neumann Press (1982)
- Newman Against the Liberals — 400pp, Roman Catholic Books (out of print)
- The Second Vatican Council and Religious Liberty — 326pp, Neumann Press
- I am with you always (on the Indefectibility of the Church) — 101pp. Neumann Press
- For Altar and Throne - The Rising the Vendée — 100pp, The Remnant Press
- St John Fisher — 140pp, Neumann Press
- The Wisdom of Adrian Fortescue (edited by Michael Davies) — 421pp, Roman Catholic Books
- Liturgical Shipwreck — TAN Books
External links
- Video Michael Davies at St. Athanasius (Traditional Catholic Chapel), Vienna, Virginia, 1988.
- Tribute from Una Voce America.
- The Catholic Sanctuary and the Second Vatican Council, by Michael Davies, criticising post-Vatican II architectural changes
- Apologia pro Marcel Lefebvre by Michael Davies, hosted by SSPX Asia.