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Given by His
Holiness St. Pius V
July 14, 1570
Upon our
elevation to the Apostolic throne We gladly turned Our mind and
energies, and directed all Our thoughts, to the matter of preserving
incorrupt the public worship of the Church; and We have striven, with
God’s help, by every means in Our power to achieve that purpose.
Whereas amongst other decrees of the Holy Council of Trent We were
charged with revision and re-issue of the sacred books, to wit the
Catechism, the Missal and the Breviary; and whereas We have with God’s
consent published a Catechism for the instruction of the faithful, and
thoroughly revised the Breviary for the due performance of the Divine
Office, We next, in order that Missal and Breviary might be in perfect
harmony, as is right and proper (considering that it is altogether
fitting that there should be in the Church only one appropriate manner
of Psalmody and one sole rite of celebrating Mass), deemed it necessary
to give Our immediate attention to what still remained to be done,
namely the re-editing of the Missal with the least possible delay.
We resolved accordingly to delegate this task to a select committee of
scholars; and they, having at every stage of their work and with the
utmost care collated the ancient codices in Our Vatican Library and
reliable (original or amended) codices from elsewhere, and having also
consulted the writing of ancient and approved authors who have
bequeathed to us records relating to the said sacred rites, thus
restored the Missal itself to the pristine form and rite of the holy
Fathers. When this production had been subjected to close scrutiny and
further amended We, after mature consideration, ordered that the final
result be forthwith printed and published in Rome, so that all may
enjoy the fruits of this labor: that priests may know what prayers to
use, and what rites and ceremonies they are to use henceforward in the
celebration of Masses.
Now therefore, in order that all everywhere may adopt and observe what
has been delivered to them by the Holy Roman Church, Mother and
Mistress of the other churches, it shall be unlawful henceforth and
forever throughout the Christian world to sing or to read Masses
according to any formula other than that of this Missal published by
Us; this ordinance to apply to all churches and chapels, with or
without care of souls, patriarchal, collegiate and parochial, be they
secular or belonging to any religious Order whether of men (including
the military Orders) or of women, in which conventual Masses are or
ought to be sung aloud in choir or read privately according to the
rites and customs of the Roman Church; to apply moreover even if the
said churches have been in any way exempted, whether by indult of the
Apostolic See, by custom, by privilege, or even by oath or Apostolic
confirmation, or have their rights and faculties guaranteed to them in
any other way whatsoever; saving only those in which the practice of
saying Mass differently was granted over two hundred years ago
simultaneously with the Apostolic See’s institution and confirmation of
the church, and those in which there has prevailed a similar custom
followed continuously for a period of not less than two hundred years;
in which cases We in no wise rescind their prerogatives or customs
aforesaid. Nevertheless, if this Missal which We have seen fit to
publish be more agreeable to these last, We hereby permit them to
celebrate Mass according to this rite, subject to the consent of their
bishop or prelate, and of their whole Chapter, all else to the contrary
notwithstanding. All other churches aforesaid are hereby denied the use
of other missals, which are to be wholly and entirely rejected; and by
this present Constitution, which shall have the force of law in
perpetuity, We order and enjoin under pain of Our displeasure that
nothing be added to Our newly published Missal, nothing omitted
therefrom, and nothing whatsoever altered there in.
We specifically command each and every patriarch, administrator and all
other persons of whatsoever ecclesiastical dignity, be they even
Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, or, possessed of any other rank or
pre-eminence, and We order them by virtue of holy obedience to sing or
to read the Mass according to the rite and manner and norm herein laid
down by Us, and henceforward to discontinue and utterly discard all
other rubrics and rites of other missals, howsoever ancient, which they
have been accustomed to follow, and not to presume in celebrating Mass
to introduce any ceremonies or recite any prayers other than those
contained in this Missal.
Furthermore, by these presents and by virtue of Our Apostolic
authority, We give and grant in perpetuity that for the singing or
reading of Mass in any church whatsoever this Missal may be followed
absolutely, without any scruple of conscience or fear of incurring any
penalty, judgment or censure, and may be freely and lawfully used. Nor
shall bishops, administrators, canons, chaplains and other secular
priests, or religious of whatsoever Order or by whatsoever title
designated, be obliged to celebrate Mass otherwise than enjoined by Us.
We likewise order and declare that no one whosoever shall be forced or
coerced into altering this Missal; and this present Constitution can
never be revoked or modified, but shall forever remain valid and have
the force of law, notwithstanding previous constitutions or edicts of
provincial or synodal councils, and notwithstanding the usage of the
churches aforesaid established by very long and even immemorial
prescription, saving only usage of more than two hundred years.
Consequently it is Our will, and by the same authority We decree, that
one month after publication of this Our Constitution and Missal,
priests of the Roman Curia shall be obliged to sing or to read the Mass
in accordance therewith; others south of the Alps, after three months;
those who live beyond the Alps, after six months or as soon as the
Missal becomes available for purchase.
Furthermore, in order that the said Missal may be preserved incorrupt
and kept free from defects and errors, the penalty for nonobservance in
the case of all printers resident in territory directly or indirectly
subject to Ourselves and the Holy Roman Church shall be forfeiture of
their books and a fine of 100 gold ducats payable ipso facto to the
Apostolic Treasury. In the case of those resident in other parts of the
world it shall be excommunication latae sententiae and all other
penalties at Our discretion; and by Our Apostolic authority and the
tenor of these presents. We also decree that they must not dare or
presume either to print or to publish or to sell, or in any way to take
delivery of such books without Our approval and consent, or without
express permission of the Apostolic Commissary in the said parts
appointed by us for that purpose. Each of the said printers must
receive from the aforementioned Commissary a standard Missal to serve
as an exemplar for subsequent copies, which, when made, must be
compared with the exemplar and agree faithfully therewith, varying in
no wise from the first impression printed in Rome.
But, since it would be difficult for this present Constitution to be
transmitted to all parts of the world and to come to the notice of all
concerned simultaneously, We direct that it be, as usual, posted and
published at the doors of the Basilica of the Prince of the Apostles,
at those of the Apostolic Chancery, and at the end of the Campo
de’Fiori; moreover We direct that printed copies of the same, signed by
a notary public and authenticated with the seal of an ecclesiastical
dignitary, shall possess the same unqualified and indubitable validity
everywhere and in every country that would attend the display there of
Our present text. Accordingly, no one whosoever is permitted to
infringe or rashly contravene this notice of Our permission, statute,
ordinance, command, direction, grant, indult, declaration, will, decree
and prohibition. Should any person venture to do so, let him understand
that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the blessed
Apostles Peter and Paul.
Given at Saint Peter’s, Rome, in the year of Our Lord’s Incarnation one
thousand five hundred and seventy, on the fourteenth day of July in the
fifth year of Our Pontificate.
Given at St. Peter's, Rome, in the year of Our Lord's Incarnation, one
thousand five hundred and seventy, on the fourteenth day of July of the
fifth year of Our Pontificate.
H. Cumin Caesar Glorierius
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