HISTORY OF THE 1570 MISSALE ROMANUMQuestion/Comment: "From what I understand the 1570 Missale Romanum was the missal of the papal court extended throughout Western Europe with the exception of holdout dioceses such as in France, Milan, Braga and Toledo, not to mention those of the different orders. " To answer the question about whether the 1570 Missal is a restoration of traditional 11th c. practice, or an abrogation of traditional practice, I must take a sweeping view of the Roman rite across many centuries. We have a somewhat murky picture of the Roman rite before St. Gregory the Great. It seems to have been a very simple rite, with long scriptural readings or chantings. For example, it was established that the entire Psalter should be chanted just prior to each celebration of the simple Liturgy. That is a very sober observance, an austere one, but not one that is short or undemanding. There were all-night vigils which lasted all night. The fervour and churchliness of the people must have been great. We have a very clear picture of the Roman rite from the era preceding the last Oecumenical Council (Nicaea II). As regards the Mass, it was full of exuberant yet soberly-derived ceremonial, and the frequent repetition of ornate chanted texts, with ornate verses between the repeats, executed by virtuosi cantors. In the Office, the Psalms "ruled the day"--they were the foundation and main content of the Office, which took a long time to sing because antiphons were repeated between each and every psalm verse. At both Mass and Office, there were frequent and exuberant processions. As the Roman rite spread to areas where the Gallican rites had been known, much of the drama and poetry of the Gallicans "leaked" into the stark Roman rite. A hybrid rite was created, predominantly Roman but much more poetic and colourful than before. This hybrid was marked by a mystically-inspired ceremonial, some longer collects (more effusive language--such as marks the Byzantine rite), and plenty of rich processions. In the Office, a transformation occurred between the 6th c. and the 8th. With the daily addition of supplementary offices of Our Lady, the Dead, and All Saints, the number of psalms was far more than doubled, and at the same time the practice of inserting antiphons between all psalm verses ceased. This made the Office rush along faster, with more composed texts (such as now dominate the Byzantine office). Also, many mystical and poetic texts were adopted--the cathedral use absorbed Hymns from monastic precedent, and of course there were frequent and rich processions and rich ceremonial. Now we must consider regionalisms. The stark rite of ancient Rome was transplanted to Gaul, and elsewhere in the West, creating a hybrid rite. Later, already by 1200 for certain, this richer and more effusive-mystical hybrid rite replaced the stark Roman rite even at Rome itself. Liturgical forms originating outside Rome, such as the magnificent tradition of Sequences, tropes, prosula, and long changeable episcopal blessings at services, took firm root at Rome, together with the "compound" Office (e.g., Vespers of the day followed by Vespers of St. Mary followed by Vespers of the Dead, etc.). From the early centuries onward, there was one direction which all Christian rites took, including the Roman--and that is the gradual, natural enrichment of the calendar of saint-celebrations. This enrichment continued without pause all the way through 1000, through 1300, through 1500, whether we are speaking of the Christian West or the Christian East. The number of occasions was numerous, perhaps averaging once per week, when poetic and didactic texts taught the people, when great processions crossed through church, churchyard, and town, when the great bells pealed. Now we must consider the Pian Missal of 1570. In it, the core of the ancient Roman rite is definitely preserved. But much of the Gallo-Roman liturgy is truncated. For example, the beautiful Sequences are almost entirely eliminated. But, more seriously, the sanctorale (proper of saints) is drastically reduced. This might return the sanctorale (alone) to a more 11th-c. state, but the rest of the liturgy does not follow suit and return to 11th-c. norms. For example, the long repeats of Mass chants (the verses on the Offerenda, for one example) were not restored. Thus, the net result was a reduction, whether from the vantage of 11th c. Roman liturgy or of 15th c. Roman liturgy. If I remember correctly, the processions were curtailed in the Pian revision, too, which were so prominent a feature of all the Western rites (whether Gallo-Roman or ancient Roman). Nisi fallor, Pius V eliminated the weekly Sunday procession around the church with its ornate chants and proper prayers--that was a feature of Roman rite since before the 8th c., and decreed by early sainted Popes of Rome. In short, much was lost, but the core was retained. The Divine Office was not so sharply reduced, but eliminations were not long a-coming; in 1911 the whole ancient Latin psalter scheme was thrown out, and then in 1942 the whole Latin psalter of ages was thrown out. This is why I see the reforms of Vatican II as the end-point of a long, long process that took centuries to result in the level of loss we see today in that former patriarchate. ">... From what I understand the 1570 Missale Romanum was the missal of the papal court extended throughout Western Europe with the exception of holdout dioceses such as in France, Milan, Braga and Toledo, not to mention those of the different orders." The "holdouts" were, in 1570, the majority of Europe. Author: His Eminence, Archbishop Anthony |
