If you have the time, there are several excellent audio series by by some of the best Roman Catholic theologians that lived "what happened at Vatican II". You won't find many, if any of them on any CAF website, EWTN ministries. These are the men that they hoped would eventually die off and take most of the Rich Western Liturgical Tradition with them. Some are associated with SSPX, but much of their work is built on the shoulders of those who tried in vain to avert this trainwreck, and whose voiced were silenced for many years, though they remained obedient to the Church.
If you are interested in almost a day by day, blow by blow description of Vatican II, including why, when who, documents....and the behind the scenes maneuvering, there is a four part series by Michael Davies. He is painstaking accurate, and there is no trace of the neo-catholic, rad-trad color to his lectures. They are University quality, and if quotes anything, he sites sources and supports everything with historical records that can be tracked down by anybody.
I had no idea......I don't understand if things could have gone anymore off track, even if their was a carefully planned coup.
He is not a conspiracy theorist, but a keen observer of human behavior and Vatican politics, and the Pope, when he realized how wrong things had gone, it had gone to far and he either was unable, unwilling, to stop it.
It's a fascinating historical audio documentary that had me on the edge of my seat.
The 4 sections are split into:
1. The Liberal Coup
2. The role of the Press
3. The Protestant Connection
4. The Liturgical Revolution
If you are short on time, there is single lecture: Comments On Vatican II Council
If you can't bear to hear the whole sad story, or are not interested in the details, Mr. Davies has a couple of series on the Liturgical development of the Traditional Roman Rite, and all the offshoots (Of rather, as an off shoot of the Eastern Rites). It's not only about the Latin Mass, but Liturgical Development in general. He also has one on the Liturgical History of England.
The Site is run by the VonHildebrand Institute (
http://www.keepthefaith.org/index.htm). Each audio lecture can be downloaded directly from the site for only $1 each. Or you can order them on tape, if you wish,
If you are a literature lover, and would rather skip the Liturgics, Dr David Allen White is one of the best lecturers of Literature and Poetry that I have ever heard. (
http://www.keepthefaith.org/searchResult_literature.aspx?CategoryID=1161)
Some of the others are hit and miss, and I would not listen to more than 2 minutes to Fulton Sheen.
Being Western Rite, I find this fascinating. There is nothing comparable in written by any Orthodox theologians, and until I discovered this site, I had pretty much given up that the Liturgical Revisionists had a monopoly on anything that has been published in the last 30 years.
And as a lover of Shakespeare, Elliot, Dante, and Chaucer, it is refreshing not to have it deconstructed to death, so that there is nothing left but empty, lyrical language.
The URL for the Vatican II series is below. You can navigate around, depending on your interest. I have purchases from them 5 or 6 times and have had no trouble with the purchase, or downloading the MP3's.
http://www.keepthefaith.org/searchResult_speakers.aspx?manufacturer=19Kaarina (lucy212 at CAF)
I am still trying to figure out the posting system, so I hope this doesn't come out like gibberish.
Thanks to all who offered kind words and support to me over there. I think I had 6 posts, and I think I ended up needing to go to Confession each time, and weep over my own sinfulness, but also the dark cloud of hopelessness that engulfed me each time. (Sometimes just visiting was enough to cause me to fall into the pit of anger and resentment.)