Essential reading

Carlos Antonio Palad, a contributor to Rorate Caeli, has arranged for a translation from the Italian of an article by Fr. Stefano Carusi IBP examining the work of the Pian Commission's reform of Holy Week in 1956. The original article appeared on the Disputationes Theologicae blog.

The article is titled "THE REFORM OF HOLY WEEK IN THE YEARS 1951-1956 FROM LITURGY TO THEOLOGY BY WAY OF THE STATEMENTS OF CERTAIN LEADING THINKERS (ANNIBALE BUGNINI, CARLO BRAGA, FERDINANDO ANTONELLI)" and is an interesting study. The radical and revolutionary nature of Pius XII's Holy Week reforms, whilst appreciated by paleo-Traditionalists such as Evelyn Waugh and by the 'modernists', is of course glossed over by many as 'organic' development. To counter such a false understanding the article is essential reading.

Fr. Carusi quotes Fr. Carlo Braga, one of those intimately involved with the reforms both before and after the Council and a close associate of Mgr. Bugnini, describing the new rite of Holy Saturday as "the head of the battering-ram which pierced the fortress of our hitherto static liturgy."

N.B. The article is lengthy and hard to read in 'blog post' format - I copied it into Word which makes for easier reading.

St. James the Apostle

Today is the feast of St. James the Apostle. The feast is a Double of the Second Class. The liturgical colour of the day is red. St. James, often referred to as St. James the Great to distinguish him from St. James the Less (May 1st), suffered martyrdom by the sword under Agrippa I. His remains were tranferred to Santiago di Compostella in northern Spain, resulting in the city becoming a major pilgrimage site in Medieval times.

The feast began with first Vespers yesterday. (Yesterday was the, penitential, Vigil of St. James). The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc were sung along with the psalms of first Vespers from the Common Apostles. The collect of the feast was proper. After the collect of the feast a commoration of the ninth Sunday after Pentecost was sung. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, venite adoremus. The antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with the psalms from the Common of Apostles. In first nocturn the lessons are Sic nos existimet homo from the former Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn the lessons are proper to the feast. In the third nocturn the homily is taken from St. Chrysostom's sixty-sixth sermon on St. Matthew's Gospel. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday and is a homily of St. Gregory on St. Luke'e Gospel. At Lauds the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the Sunday psalms. Commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of St. Christopher.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are used. At Prime the feastal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii). The lectio brevis is Ibant Apostoli.

Mass is sung after Terce. The introit is Mihi autem nimis. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday (in private Masses the third collect is of St. Christopher). The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Apostles and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

Vespers are of the feast with commemorations of the following feast of St. Anne and of the Sunday.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Sunday takes precedence over the feast. There was no commemoration of the feast at Vespers (of the Sunday) yesterday. Mattins is stripped down to one nocturn. At Lauds a commemoration of St. James is sung. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung (117, 118i & 118ii). At Low Masses a commemoration of St. James is made. At Vespers there is neither commemoration of St. James nor of St. Anne.

Icon: Eighteenth century Russian icon of St. James from Wikipedia.

VIII Sunday after Pentecost

The eighth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. The liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke containin the parable about the unjust steward.

At Vespers yesterday the psalms of Saturday were sung. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Alexius, St. Camillus of Lellis and St. Symphorosa and her Seven Sons. The Suffrage was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline due to the occurring double feast.

At Mattins there are the usual three nocturns. The invitatory and hymn are as sung on previous 'green' Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be taken from the Third Book of the Kings and the history of Solomon. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Augustine's writings on the City of God. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Luke's Gospel is from St. Jerome. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds commemorations are sung of St. Camillus and St. Symphorosa. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted because of the occurring double feast.

At Prime psalms 117, 118i & 118ii are sung, Quicumque is omitted as are the Dominical preces because of the double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St Camillus, the third collect is of St. Symphorosa. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday with commemorations sung of the following feast of St. Vincent de Paul and of St. Camillus. Again the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted at Vespers and the Dominical preces not sung at Compline because of the occurring double feasts.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations or Suffrage at Vespers. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations or Suffrage at Lauds. Mass has a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

VII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventh Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. The liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew containing the words of warning from the LORD concerning false prophets appearing as sheep but who, in reality, are wolves.

At Vespers yesterday the psalms of Saturday were sung. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of The Seven Holy Brothers, and of St. Pius I. The Suffrage of the Saints was then sung after the last commemoration and the Dominical preces were sung at Compline.

At Mattins there are the usual three nocturns. The invitatory and hymn are as sung on previous 'green' Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the Incipit of the Third Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Jerome's Letter to Nepotianus. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from St. Hiliary. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds a commemoration is sung of St. Pius I. The Suffrage of the Saints is then sung.

At Prime psalms 117, 118i & 118ii are sung, Quicumque follows. The Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St Pius I, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday with commemorations sung of the following feast of St. John Gualbert and SS Nabor and Felix. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted at Vespers and the Dominical preces not sung at Compline because of the occurring double feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations or Suffrage at Vespers. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations or Suffrage at Lauds. At Prime Quicumque is not sung nor the Dominical preces. Mass has a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

VI Sunday after Pentecost

The sixth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. It is also, this year, the Sunday within the Octave of SS Peter and Paul. The liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Mark describe the Feeding of the Four Thousand with seven loaves and fishes.

At Vespers yesterday the psalms of Saturday were sung. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Leo II and of the Octave of SS Peter and Paul. The Suffrage of the Saints was not sung nor were the Dominical preces at Compline because of the occurring Octave.

At Mattins there are the usual three nocturns. The invitatory and hymn are as sung on previous 'green' Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the Second Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Ambrose's Defence of David. Again St. Ambrose provides the homily in the third nocturn on St. Mark's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds a commemoration is sung of the Octave of SS. Peter and Paul. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted due to the Octave.

At Prime psalms 117, 118i & 118ii are sung. The Dominical preces are omitted due to the Octave.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave, there is no third collect - the general rule for Sundays within Octaves. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

As a result of Pius X moving the feast of Precious Blood from the first Sunday of July to July 1st the rubrics allow for the celebration of the Mass of the feast on the Sunday to which it was formerly attached. All Masses, except the Conventual Mass, may be of The Precious Blood celebrated in red vestments. The Mass Redemisti nos is sung. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung, the preface is of the Cross and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

In some countries the external solemnity of SS Peter and Paul is observed on this Sunday. The Mass Nunc scio vere is sung in red vestments. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung, the preface is of the Apostles and the last Gospel of the Sunday.

Vespers are of the Sunday with a commemoration of the following feast of St. Antony Mary Zaccaria and of the Octave. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted at Vespers and the Dominical preces not sung at Compline because of the occurring double feast and Octave.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations or Suffrage at Vespers. The Octave of SS Peter and Paul has been abolished. As this Octave is one of the most ancient, even perhaps the most ancient, retaining proper texts for the feast, the Octave Day and days within the Octave, one sees a total contempt for tradtion in the reformers' actions. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations or Suffrage at Lauds. At Prime there is neither Quicumque is sung nor the Dominical preces despite there being no commemorated double feast or Octave. Mass has a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Lambert Lombard's painting of the miracle of the seven loaves and fishes from Wikipedia.

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin

The Visitation of the BVM commemorates the Visitation made by the BVM to her cousin Elizabeth (c.f. Luke 1: 39-80). The feast originated as a concession to the Franciscans at the request of St. Bonaventure in 1263. Urban VI in 1389 confirmed the celebration of the feast with an Octave on July 2nd. Boniface IX in 1390, the Council of Basle in 1441 and Nicholas V in 1451 confirmed the feast but not the Octave, according to the notes of the Pian Commission. In the 1550 Breviary it became a double feast as it also appeared in the Tridentine Breviary, with a partially new Office in 1569. Clement VIII made the feast a greater double in the 1604 BR and Pius IX made it a double of the second class in 1850. The modern reformers couldn't cope with the feast on the day following the Octave Day of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist finding this illogical and moved it to 31st May. The Byzantines keep the feast, which was only introduced in the nineteenth century, on March 30th.

The feast begins with Mattins (Vespers having been of the Feast of the Precious Blood with a commemoration of the Visitation. (The commemoration at Vespers caused Compline to have Te lucis sung to the melody for the Nativity with the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui natus es de Virgine etc.) The invitatory is proper, Visitationem Virginis Mariae celebremus: Christum ejus Filium adoremus Dominum. The hymn, antiphons and psalms are from the Common of the BVM. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the Canticle of Canticles. In the second nocturn the lesson are from a homily of St. John Chrysostom and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel. The ninth lesson is of SS Processus and Martinian. At Lauds the antiphons Exsurgens Maria etc are sung with the Sunday psalms, the hymn is from the Common, the antiphon on the Benedictus proper. A commemoration is made of SS Processus and Martinian (but not of the Octave of SS Peter and Paul).

At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung to the melody of the Nativity and with its Doxology. The antiphons from Lauds are sung with the Sunday psalms. At Prime the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii) are sung, in the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es is sung, the lectio brevis is In plateis.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass Salve sancte parens is sung, the Gloria is sung, in private Masses a commemoration is made of SS Processus and Martinian, the Creed is sung and the preface is of the BVM.

At Vespers the antiphons Exsurgens Maria etc are sung with the psalms from the Common of the BVM. The hymn is Ave, maris stella. A commemoration is sung of the following feast of St. Leo.

In the 'liturgial books of 1962', aka the extraordinary form of the new rite, the ninth lesson of SS Processus and Martinian is supressed. At the Hours the ferial antiphons and psalms are sung, the hymns do not have the Doxology of the Nativity. At Vespers there are no commemorations.