Announcing "Rites and Wrongs: One Man's Struggle for the Latin Mass in the U.S. Army"

From Peter Kwasnieski, PhD

Thrilled to announce Os Justi's latest release—𝑅𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑊𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑠: 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑛'𝑠 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈.𝑆. 𝐴𝑟𝑚𝑦. David Sonnier, a 1981 West Point graduate, loved the Army and worked to be a model soldier. A bend in his career path brought him into contact for the first time with the traditional Mass. His life, with that of his family, was changed forever. Sonnier began respectfully petitioning for a TLM on the bases where he served, in accordance with the policy of John Paul II's letter 𝐸𝑐𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑎 𝐷𝑒𝑖. He watched in disbelief as chaplains at every level and several bishops made every effort to thwart his efforts. He relates, documentary evidence in hand, the tangled web of lies, backstabbing, slander, double-crossing, bureaucratic manipulation, letters intercepted and undelivered, veiled threats, and secret meetings—all to ensure that no Latin Mass would ever be celebrated on a military installation, even when willing priests were available. The 97-percent-Christian chaplaincy at the time allowed chapels to be used for Protestant praise & worship services and even Wiccan pagan ceremonies (!), but the TLM was subjected to a perpetual ban. When an exasperated Sonnier finally brought the receipts to the press, his story was taken up in major newspapers and eventually reached the floor of Congress in Washington, DC. A true story from a dark period, Sonnier's gripping memoir ranges through the world of the Colombian Army, Special Operations, Fort Bragg, NATO, and the Vatican. Though current or retired servicemembers and lovers of military history will especially appreciate this memoir, 𝑅𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑊𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑠 is a captivating read for any Catholic who relishes a story full of life-changing realizations, backroom intrigues, surprising reversals, and hard-earned wisdom.