Chesterton on the Latin Mass and Tradition

G K Chesterton was prophetic because he knew history.  (All are from The Quotable Chesterton/Ignatius Press.)

When we are pressed and taunted upon our obstinacy in saying the Mass in a dead language, we are tempted to reply to our questioners by telling them that they are apparently not fit to be trusted with a living language.  When we consider what they have done with the noble English language, as compared with the English of the Anglican Prayer-Book, let alone the Latin of the Mass, we feel that their development may well be called degenerate.

Degenerate.  That's a word that fits rather well, does it not?

For those in Rome and Chicago who will not see, G K C had thoughts....

Tradition may be defined as an extension of the franchise.  Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors.  It is the democracy of the dead.

And

Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about.

How did he know about Massimo?

Finally,

All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death.

It is no wonder at all that the current Pope did not take the name Pius.