Waugh on Liturgical "Participation"

Everlyn Waugh might well have described his disposition toward the liturgical reforms in terms of fiercely resisting the urge to join the herd of Gardarene swine running down into the Rhine after the Second Vatican Council. Noting that it was "natural to the Germans to make a row," Waugh argued that it was "essentially un-English" to do so. He wanted only to pray "in silence":

'Participation' in the Mass does not mean hearing our own voices. It means God hearing our voices.... I believe ... that I 'participate' in a work of art when I study it and love it silently. No need to shout.

["Adam A.J. DeVille, "In Defense of Christian 'Snobbery': The Case of Evelyn Waugh Reconsidered," Latin Mass magazine, (Spring 2004), p. 75 - a brilliant article.]