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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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