Michael Treharne Davies

Died 25 September 2004

 

After the introduction of the Novus Ordo Mass, many of the faithful scratched their heads in puzzlement.  In the English-speaking world, they wondered what this reminded them of.  Their concerns were articulated in the Liturgical Revolution trilogy by a hitherto obscure Welsh primary school teacher who was a convert to Catholicism named Michael Treharne Davies.  Mr. Davies, described as the traditionalist’s traditionalist, went on to enjoy an influence in the world of traditional Catholicism matched by no layman and few clerics.  From 1993 to 2003, he was the President of the International Una Voce Federation, an umbrella organisation made up of national Latin Mass associations in nearly thirty countries.

 

Michael Davies came from a long line of Baptist lay preachers from Wales.  He had a passionate interest in history, which confirmed him as a Catholic and an apologist for the Catholic faith.  He focussed on the transition from Catholicism to Protestantism in Reformation England and drew alarming parallels between this and the crisis within the Catholic Church following the Second Vatican Council.  At a later time, he also wrote articles and delivered lectures on the French Revolution.  He wrote a book on the Counter-Revolution in the Vendée in the 1790s which was a neglected aspect of French history in English language texts, yet the repeat of this in 1815 diverted troops to Mayenne that would have given Napoleon a victory at Waterloo.  Mr. Davies similarly brought the story of the Prayer Book rebellion in Cornwall and Devon in 1549 to a wider audience.  This popular reaction against the new liturgy imposed by Edward VI and Thomas Cramner resulted in the slaughter of 50,000 people in the West Country.  It is an aspect of the English Reformation not dealt with by respectable historians until very recently.

 

Due to the profile Mr. Davies built up through his written work and lectures, particularly in the United States, the founder President of Una Voce International, Eric de Saventhem chose him as his successor in 1993.  Dr. de Saventhem, a German businessman resident in Switzerland, had been president of Una Voce for a quarter of a century and was responsible in delicate negotiations leading to the 1984 Papal Indult and was held in respect by leading traditionalists the world over.  Dr. de Saventhem recognised the nature of the conflict was changing and identified Mr. Davies as the most appropriate leader in the continuing struggle.  Mr. Davies had a very different style.  The response to the changed leadership was probably most dramatic in the United States where Una Voce America (with chapters in Canada and Mexico) quickly became the biggest national Una Voce organisation.  But Mr. Davies also encouraged areas where the traditional movement was weak and he gave considerable time and energy to the foundation of Una Voce Polonia and Una Voce Czech Republic.

 

Mr. Davies also showed an incredible interest in Ireland and was for sometime frustrated by lack of progress by Irish traditionalists.  He particularly encouraged and supported the foundation of the Latin Mass Society of Ireland in 1999.  In 2000, he visited Ireland and addressed several meetings as well as calling on old friends here.  Later that year he invited me to participate in the first Una Voce delegation to meet with Cardinal Castrillion Hoyos following his appointment as President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission.  He followed the development of the Latin Mass Society of Ireland closely up until the development of cancer, after which he stepped down as President of Una Voce and concentrated on his writing.

 

Mr. Davies and I corresponded quite frequently over a broad range of issues over several years and we shared many interests.  He was a passionate Welsh nationalist with views on Irish history sympathetic toward Irish nationalism, though from time to time, he sounded unintentionally quite like fellow Welshman David Lloyd George.  His second great abiding interest was Welsh rugby.  He had innumerable anecdotes of his time as a schoolteacher, particularly of how he wound up his more feminist colleagues.  He was quite adept at plamás, but he often made sharp jibes for which he expected a return in kind.  He was quite a lively guest at my wedding last year and we were present as members of Una Voce International attempted to pay tribute to him by (murdering) Land of Our Fathers in quite dreadful Welsh.

 

Mr. Davies was suffering from cancer for some time and all his friends were concerned about his health.  In the end, it was not the cancer that killed him but an unexpected heart attack.  He is survived by his wife and four adult children.

 

In the words of Tomás Ó Criomhthain, often parodied by Myles na gCopaleen, ní bheidh a leithéad arís ann – his likes will be never seen again.

 

Amina ejus, et animae omnes fidelium defunctorum, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pacem.

 

Peadar Laighléis.

 

The Latin Mass Society of Ireland has arranged a requiem Mass for the repose of Michael Davies’ soul at the Church of the Assumption, Batterstown, Co. Meath at 8pm on Wednesday 13 October.  The celebrant is Father Michael Cahill.