American Catholics devoted to the ancient Latin liturgy disagree with Pope Francis

On this August Sunday, members of St. Francis are packed – few vaccinated or wearing masks. In the upper floor of the choir, Kwasniewski, Bauer, and others would chant Gregorian tunes, displaying a strange sound that reverberated as if the church were a stone cave. At the altar, Heffernan was leading mass—facing the altar, turning to the congregation—and praying in Latin, sometimes barely above a whisper. For the devotees, the liturgy had the feel of a mystical theatre. They were witnessing something difficult to understand, and they had to find the meaning, silently praying to God.