The Pope, the Council, and the Mass by James Likoudis and the late Kenneth D. Whitehead addresses the concerns raised by the followers of the late Archbishop Lefebvre and other “Traditionalists.” The authors provide a truly Catholic understanding of Tradition, the Second Vatican Council and its implementation, and the nature of true liturgical reform.
First published in 1981, the new, revised edition has been updated to include developments up to the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
The twenty five questions answered in The Pope, the Council, and the Mass discuss:
- Why liturgical changes were implemented
- The nature of a Pastoral Council
- Papal authority
- The validity of the Novus Ordo, and more.
Appendices provide several useful documents pertinent to the book’s discussion, including
- The Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum of Pope Paul VI
- The Apostolic Consitution Quo Primum of Pope St. Pius V
- Pope Paul VI’s Letter to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
- The Congregation for Divine Worship’s letter Quattuor Abhinc Annos
- Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Ecclesia Dei, and others
About the Authors
James Likoudis (1928–2024) was an internationally recognized apologist, theologian, lecturer, and leading authority on ecumenism, liturgy, the papacy, and catechetics. A convert from Eastern Orthodoxy in 1952, he authored several books on the ecclesiology of the Eastern Orthodox churches and co-wrote the acclaimed The Pope, the Council, and the Mass. In 2020, he received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He was the father of six, with thirty-five grandchildren and forty-five great-grandchildren.
