Douthat’s Ahistorical Criticism of Latin Mass Restriction

In a recent opinion piece in the New York Times, fellow Catholic Ross Douthat criticized one of Pope Francis' most consequential decisions: the July 16 motu proprio -- or order -- that reimposes restrictions on the Latin Mass preferred by many right-wing Catholics, thus reversing Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 order. Douthat is the most prominent American public intellectual critical of Francis’ pontificate but he’s certainly not alone in his criticism of the new restrictions. Still, Douthat’s argument merits a response because it reveals a particular cultural myopia unique to American Catholic conservatism.