Save the Liturgy, Save Civilization?

An interesting piece in Dappled Things by Philip Carl Smith, entitled "The Monastery, the Motu Proprio, and the Heart of the Church" -- I was going to say "interesting but disjointed" until I realized it was probably my late night reading, (after a strenuous dance rehearsal,) rather than Mr. Smith's writing that doesn't hang together.
Smith quotes the abbot of Fontgombault, Dom Antoine Forgeot, as saying, “The liturgy is the heart of the Church, and Pope Benedict knows what medicine the Church requires.”
Smith goes on:
Hearing his words, I recalled participating years before in a seminar discussion of John Senior’s essay, “What is Christian Culture?” at the University of Notre Dame. Some students were puzzled by Dr. Senior’s description of the ancient form of the Mass as “the most refined and brilliant work of art in the history of the world, the heart and soul and most powerful determinant factor in Western Civilization.” Our professor explained this to us, for though he himself was not a Catholic, he still appreciated the importance of the Mass: “Think of what happens if your heart becomes sick,” he suggested. “It is no longer able to supply blood to the rest of the body. If the Mass is truly the heart of the Church, its health and strength are of utmost importance to the proper functioning of all aspects of the Church’s life.”

Yes.
Yes, precisely.