6 • roMaN MissaL February 25, 2011

The Roman Missal And Its Historical Development Sister Marie A. Leonard, O.S.B., Director of O ce of Lay Ministry

he Church throughout its history has used many contained all the texts that were used in the Mass at that Order of the Mass and the General Instruction. Unlike the liturgical books, such as Book of Blessings, Rite of time: rubrics, prayers, reading, and antiphons. Its use was Roman Missal of Pius V, this did not contain the scripture Anointing and Pastoral Care of the Sick, Rite of mandated for all Roman Rite Catholic dioceses. An exception readings, which were now in a separate book called the Marriage,T Liturgy of the Hours, etc. Two of the most familiar was made for religious orders and diocese whose liturgies were Lectionary. In 1970, both books were published and the are the Sacramentatry and the Lectionary. On Sun- Vatican approved the ‹ rst English translation of days, there is an additional lectionary, the Book of the Order of the Mass for use in the United States. the Gospels. e Lectionary contains the scriptural Key Events On Feb. 4, 1974, the Vatican approved the English readings, responsorial psalms and verse before the translation of the Sacramentary for the United gospels for weekdays, Sundays, and special days. States. The Roman Missal contains the prescribed prayers and is book is the companion of the Sacramentary, A second edition of the Missale Romanum, which a somewhat larger book which includes, among instructions for the celebration of Mass in the Roman included new prayers and rubrics, was issued in other things, the General Introduction to the Ro- Catholic Church. These are key events in the development 1975. A decade later the Bishops of the United man Missal, the Order of the Mass, the liturgical of the modern missal. States revised the English Sacramentary based on calendar, collections of prayers, and the rubrics, or this second edition. A third edition was issued by directives for the priest. ese are so called because 1963 2000 Pope John Paul II in April 2000. Since this was the the rubics are written in red, or ruber in Latin. In Millennium, he included new prayers for the saints the Roman Rite the Sacramentary and the Lection- Second Vatican Council Pope John Paul II who had been canonized after the second edition ary are the principal liturgical books for the cel- calls for reform of the announces ‘third typical had been published. ebrations of Mass. Beginning in Advent of 2011, liturgy edition’ of missal A year later, the Vatican published Liturgiam the Sacramentary will be re-issued with new trans- Authenticam, a document which contains revised lations from the original Latin into English, and 1969 2004 norms for the translation of liturgical books, will simply be called the Roman Missal. Pope Paul VI issues ‘typical Draft translation given to including the Missale Romanum. e Conferences e core of the Roman Missal comes from the edition’ of Roman Missal English-speaking bishops of Bishops then began the work of translating early Church. Early Christians in Rome celebrated the third edition of the Sacramentary into the the Eucharist in Greek, but in time this was changed vernacular. 1970 2010 to Latin, the common language of Rome, so that In 2010, Rome approved the English translation all might understand and participate. Church Latin Vatican approves English Vatican grants ‘recognitio’ of the third edition of the Missale Romanum, with was more formal and stylized than that of ordinary translation of Mass for English translation minor adjustments. is approved translation, with speech, and vestiges can be seen of this today. these modi‹ cations, is scheduled to be completed Initially, Mass prayers were passed on orally, but 1975 2011 before Advent 2011, the date for implementing before long they were gathered into books called Pope Paul VI issues ‘second New Roman Missal in use the new English translation of the Roman Missal. Sacramentaries. Scripture readings at Mass were typical edition’ of missal at U.S. parishes beginning is edition will include new translations from the read directly from the Bible. By the early Middle in late November. original Latin used in various prayers, recited or Ages, however, collections of references to scripture sung. passages for use at Mass were available in separate It is important to note that the English translation manuscripts known as Lectionaries. ree types of that will be implemented in 2011 has been a these developed: the Epistulary which contained work in progress. e various sections have been the scripture readings before the Gospel, the approved at various times beginning in 2001. Evangeliary (Book of Gospels) which contained the Several groups have been involved in the English Gospel texts, and the Antiphonary, also known as translation of the Roman Missal, most notably the Gradual(e), which contained the Psalms sung the International Commission on English in the after the ‹ rst reading, the responsorial passages Liturgy (ICEL), an international group composed sung during the OŒ ertory, and the Psalms sung of various Conferences of Bishops in English- during the entrance and communion processions. speaking countries. Each conference is represented By the end of the 10th century, a complete on this Commission by one bishop. ICEL prepares missal had begun to emerge, and by the end of the the English translations of liturgical texts, which are 13th century, the Sacramentaries and Lectionaries then given to each of the Conferences of Bishops for Mass were combined into one single volume Source: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops ©2010 CNS for amendments. known as the Missale Plenum (full missal). ere Once the conferences approve the translation, were many variations in these missals, depending on the at least 200 years old. Interestingly, some of these ancient rites it is sent to the Congregation of Divine Worship and region and the dioceses where they were compiled. Variations continue today in places such as Milan in Italy. Discipline of the Sacraments at the Vatican for examination. even existed in the city of Rome. roughout the centuries, there have been minor changes e Congregation, which is assisted by Vox Clara, a special In 1474, just 34 years after the invention of the printing to the Roman Missal, but essentially the missal of Pius V committee of bishops and consultants from English-speaking press, the ‹ rst Latin missal, the Missale Romanum, was remained unchanged until the Second Vatican Council, countries, either gives its authoritative approval to the printed, and soon came into popular use. Following the almost 4 centuries later. ere was a call for liturgical renewal proposed texts, or returns them to the Conference of Bishops Reformation, the Council of Trent (1545-1563) mandated of the rites and use of the vernacular in 1963. for further modi‹ cation. that all liturgical books be standardized. e ‹ rst stage of this e ‹ rst edition of the Missale Romanum, based on the ( e next article in this series will address the text changes was implemented when Pope Pius V promulgated a revised mandate from the Second Vatican Council, was promulgated pertaining to the people’s parts. A diocesan web site on the Roman edition of the Missale Romanum in 1570. is one book by Pope Paul VI in 1969. e missal introduced the New Missal is under construction.)