Michael Davies (Catholic writer)

Michael Davies
Born	Michael Treharne Davies (1936-03-13)13 March 1936 Yeovil, Somerset, England
Died	25 September 2004(2004-09-25) (aged 68)
Alma mater	University of London St Mary's University, Twickenham
Occupation(s)	Writer, author

Michael Treharne Davies (13 March 1936 – 25 September 2004 ^[1] ) 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 Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce and was responsible for the unification of Una Voce America. ^[2]

Life

Davies was born to Cyril and Annie (née Garnworthy) Davies. His father, a Welshman, was a Baptist, and his mother, who was English, was an Anglican. Davies was brought up in Yeovil, Somerset, ^[3] but 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. ^[4]

Davies was a Baptist who converted to Catholicism while still a student in the 1950s. ^{[5] [6]} While initially a supporter of the Second Vatican Council, ^[7] Davies became critical of the liturgical changes that followed in its wake, which he argued were a result of distortions and misreadings of the Council's mandates for liturgical reform. ^[8] Davies later supported the French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), writing a three-volume series titled Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre in which he defended Lefebvre against accusations of disobedience and schism for refusing to celebrate the Mass of Paul VI. ^[9] Although Davies opposed Lefebvre's canonically-illicit consecration of four SSPX bishops in 1988 against the wishes of Pope John Paul II, he continued to support Lefebvre's defence of the Tridentine Mass and traditional Church teachings publicly.

William D. Dinges, Professor of Religion and Culture at The Catholic University of America, described Davies as "[i]nternationally, one of the most prolific traditionalist apologists". ^[10]

Davies was a critic of the alleged apparitions of the Blessed Virgin at Medjugorje, which he believed to be false. ^[11] His unfinished book on the subject, Medjugorje: The First Twenty-One Years , was finally published in 2023 by Arouca Press; it includes a reminiscence from his son Adrian.

Davies died on 25 September 2004, aged 68, following a battle with cancer and was buried in the churchyard of St. Mary's, Chislehurst, Kent. He was survived by his wife, Marija, one daughter and two sons, ^[12] one of whom is the barrister Adrian Davies.

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) ISBN   978-0912141244
• Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) is a three volume book in support of the French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Society of St. Pius X, ISBN   978-0935952193
• The Order of Melchisedech – 255pp, Roman Catholic Books, ISBN   978-0870003943
• Partisans of Error (on Modernism) – 109pp, Neumann Press (1982), ISBN   978-0911845006
• Newman Against the Liberals – 400pp, Roman Catholic Books (out of print)
• The Second Vatican Council and Religious Liberty – 326pp, Neumann Press, ISBN   978-0911845266
• I am with you always (on the Indefectibility of the Church) – 101pp, Neumann Press
• For Altar and Throne – The Rising in the Vendée – 100pp, The Remnant Press, ISBN   978-1890740009
• St John Fisher – 140pp, Neumann Press, ISBN   978-0911845860
• The Wisdom of Adrian Fortescue (edited by M. Davies) – 421pp, Roman Catholic Books, ISBN   978-0912141534
• Liturgical Shipwreck – TAN Books, ISBN   978-0895555359
• Liturgical Timebombs in Vatican 2: Destruction of the Faith Through Changes in Catholic Worship – TAN Books, ISBN   978-0895557735

References

1. Matt, Michael. "The Last Letter From London". The Remnant. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
2. Darroch, Leo (27 April 2005). "Michael Davies obituary". Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce. Archived from the original on 17 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
3. Foley, Michael (November 2004). "RIP Michael Davies – The passing of a true defender of the Faith". AD2000. Vol. 17, no. 10. p. 13. Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
4. Darroch, Leo (2004). "Michael Treharne Davies". The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales. Archived from the original on 6 October 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
5. "Lives in Brief". The Times. 9 November 2004. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
6. Bishop, John (October 2004). "Michael Davies: The Last Interview". Christian Order. Archived from the original on 15 September 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
7. "Michael Davies, PhD". Archived from the original on 31 October 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2009., Society of St. Pius X – Southern Africa
8. Kieckhefer, Richard (2004). Theology in stone: Church architecture from Byzantium to Berkeley. Oxford University Press. p.  266. ISBN   0-19-515466-5.
9. Petin, Edward. "Friend Honors Author Who Criticized Abuse of Vatican II". Zenit. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016.
10. Dinges, William D.; Martin E. Marty; R. Scott Appleby. "Roman Catholic Traditionalism". Fundamentalisms Observed. American Academy of Arts and Sciences. p. 69. ISBN   0-226-50878-1.
11. Davies, Michael (May 2004). "Megjugorje after Twenty-One Years – The Definitive History". Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
12. Matt, Michael (8 July 2010). "Michael Davies ~ In Memoriam". The Remnant. Retrieved 9 July 2010.

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.
• Michael Davies – An Evaluation by John S. Daly, a critique of Davies' theology (2015).