General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII
Encyclopedia
In 1955 Pope Pius XII
made several changes to the General Roman Calendar of 1954, changes that remained in force only until 1960, when Pope John XXIII
, on the basis of further recommendations of the commission that Pius XII had set up, decreed a further revision of the Roman Catholic calendar of saints
(see General Roman Calendar of 1962
). The changes made by Pope Pius XII thus remained unaltered for only five years.
He made the following changes by the decree "Cum nostra hac aetate" (De rubricis ad simpliciorem formam redigendis) of March 23, 1955
of the feast were permitted except the conventual Mass. Sundays previously celebrated in the Semi-Double rite were raised to the Double rite. An impeded Sunday Office and Mass was to be neither anticipated nor resumed. A feast or title or any mystery of Our Lord
falling on a Sunday per annum was thenceforth to take the place of the Sunday, with the latter merely commemorated
.
of Easter, Christmas and Pentecost were to be celebrated; all others occurring either in the universal or in particular calendars were suppressed. The days within the Easter and Pentecost octaves were raised to the Double rite, had precedence over all feasts, and did not admit commemorations. But the days of the Octave of Christmas, although of the Double rite, continued to be celebrated as before.
From January 2 to 5, unless some feast occurred, the Office was to be of the current feria
in the simple rite. The Mass was to be the same as that of January 1, but without the Credo and the special Communicantes.
With the suppression of the Octave of Epiphany
, the days from January 7 to 12 became feriae per annum (in the Simple rite); the Mass was to be the same as that of the Epiphany, but without the Credo and without the special Communicantes. On January 13, the Commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord was to be celebrated in the major double rite, using for the Office and the Mass those previously said on the Octave of the Epiphany. But if January 13 occurred on Sunday, the Office and Mass were to be those of the "Feast of the Holy Family" without any commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord.
The days from the Ascension of Our Lord to the Vigil of Pentecost exclusive became feriae of Eastertide (in the Simple rite); the Mass was to be that of the Feast of the Ascension, but without the Credo and the special Communicantes. The days of the suppressed Octaves of Corpus Christi and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus became feriae per annum.
and Passiontide
, from Ash Wednesday
to the Saturday before Palm Sunday
, the Office (if recited privately) and the Mass could be either of the feria or of the feast.
and James
Apostles" from May 1, where it had been since the sixth century, to May 11, and suppressing the "Solemnity of Saint Joseph
, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary" that, since Pope Pius IX
's decree of September 10, 1847, had been celebrated on the second Wednesday after the Octave of Easter).
He also instituted the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen on May 31; to make room for it, he moved the feast of Saint Angela Merici
to June 1.
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
made several changes to the General Roman Calendar of 1954, changes that remained in force only until 1960, when Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
, on the basis of further recommendations of the commission that Pius XII had set up, decreed a further revision of the Roman Catholic calendar of saints
Roman Catholic calendar of saints
The General Roman Calendar indicates the days of the year to which are assigned the liturgical celebrations of saints and of the mysteries of the Lord that are to be observed wherever the Roman Rite is used...
(see General Roman Calendar of 1962
General Roman Calendar of 1962
This article lists the feast days of the General Roman Calendar as it was in 1962, following the reforms that Pope John XXIII introduced with his motu proprio Rubricarum instructum of 23 July 1960...
). The changes made by Pope Pius XII thus remained unaltered for only five years.
He made the following changes by the decree "Cum nostra hac aetate" (De rubricis ad simpliciorem formam redigendis) of March 23, 1955
Rank of feasts
The grade and rite of "Semi-Double" was suppressed, and the liturgical days formerly celebrated as that rite were to be celebrated in the simple rite except the Vigil of Pentecost which was raised to the double rite.Sundays
The Sundays of Advent and Lent and those that follow up to Low Sunday, and also Pentecost Sunday, were to be celebrated as doubles of the first class, outranking all feasts; but when feasts of the first class occurred on the second, third or fourth Sunday of Advent, MassesMass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
of the feast were permitted except the conventual Mass. Sundays previously celebrated in the Semi-Double rite were raised to the Double rite. An impeded Sunday Office and Mass was to be neither anticipated nor resumed. A feast or title or any mystery of Our Lord
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
falling on a Sunday per annum was thenceforth to take the place of the Sunday, with the latter merely commemorated
Commemoration
Commemoration may refer to:*Commemoration , an observance of the Church of England*Commemoration , a prayer of the Roman Catholic Church...
.
Vigils
The Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord and the vigil of Pentecost were privileged vigils. The Vigils of the Ascension of Our Lord, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, Saints Peter and Paul and Saint Lawrence were to be common vigils and, if they occurred on a Sunday, were not to be anticipated, but simply omitted. All other vigils, including those marked in particular calendars, were suppressed.Octaves
Only the OctavesOctave (liturgical)
"Octave" has two senses in Christian liturgical usage. In the first sense, it is the eighth day after a feast, reckoning inclusively, and so always falls on the same day of the week as the feast itself. The word is derived from Latin octava , with dies understood...
of Easter, Christmas and Pentecost were to be celebrated; all others occurring either in the universal or in particular calendars were suppressed. The days within the Easter and Pentecost octaves were raised to the Double rite, had precedence over all feasts, and did not admit commemorations. But the days of the Octave of Christmas, although of the Double rite, continued to be celebrated as before.
From January 2 to 5, unless some feast occurred, the Office was to be of the current feria
Feria
A feria was a day on which the people, especially the slaves, were not obliged to work, and on which there were no court sessions...
in the simple rite. The Mass was to be the same as that of January 1, but without the Credo and the special Communicantes.
With the suppression of the Octave of Epiphany
Epiphany (Christian)
Epiphany, or Theophany, meaning "vision of God",...
, the days from January 7 to 12 became feriae per annum (in the Simple rite); the Mass was to be the same as that of the Epiphany, but without the Credo and without the special Communicantes. On January 13, the Commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord was to be celebrated in the major double rite, using for the Office and the Mass those previously said on the Octave of the Epiphany. But if January 13 occurred on Sunday, the Office and Mass were to be those of the "Feast of the Holy Family" without any commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord.
The days from the Ascension of Our Lord to the Vigil of Pentecost exclusive became feriae of Eastertide (in the Simple rite); the Mass was to be that of the Feast of the Ascension, but without the Credo and the special Communicantes. The days of the suppressed Octaves of Corpus Christi and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus became feriae per annum.
Feasts of the Saints
Saints' feasts previously celebrated in the Semi-Double rite were to be treated as Simple feasts, and those previously celebrated in the Simple rite were reduced to a commemoration. If any feast not of the first or second class occurred on the ferias of LentLent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
and Passiontide
Passiontide
Passiontide is a name for the last two weeks of Lent, beginning on Passion Sunday and ending on Holy Saturday....
, from Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
to the Saturday before Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
, the Office (if recited privately) and the Mass could be either of the feria or of the feast.
Other changes
By a separate decree of the same year 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of "Saint Joseph the Worker" on May 1 (moving the feast of "Saints PhilipPhilip the Apostle
Philip the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia....
and James
James the Just
James , first Bishop of Jerusalem, who died in 62 AD, was an important figure in Early Christianity...
Apostles" from May 1, where it had been since the sixth century, to May 11, and suppressing the "Solemnity of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary" that, since Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
's decree of September 10, 1847, had been celebrated on the second Wednesday after the Octave of Easter).
He also instituted the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen on May 31; to make room for it, he moved the feast of Saint Angela Merici
Angela Merici
Angela Merici, or Angela de Merici, was an Italian religious leader and saint. She founded the Order of Ursulines in 1535 in Brescia.-Life:...
to June 1.
External links
- Pre-Vatican II Liturgical Changes: The Road to the New Mass (negative view)
- What was the reasoning behind the suppression of many vigils and octaves under Pope Pius XII? (positive view)
See also
- General Roman Calendar of 1954
- General Roman Calendar of 1962General Roman Calendar of 1962This article lists the feast days of the General Roman Calendar as it was in 1962, following the reforms that Pope John XXIII introduced with his motu proprio Rubricarum instructum of 23 July 1960...
- Roman Catholic calendar of saintsRoman Catholic calendar of saintsThe General Roman Calendar indicates the days of the year to which are assigned the liturgical celebrations of saints and of the mysteries of the Lord that are to be observed wherever the Roman Rite is used...
- Tridentine CalendarTridentine CalendarThe Tridentine Calendar is the calendar of saints to be honoured in the course of the liturgical year in the official liturgy of the Roman Rite as reformed by Pope Pius V, implementing a decision of the Council of Trent, which entrusted the task to the Pope....