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 the 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 fruit of this labor; that priests may know what
prayers to use, and what rites and ceremonies they are to observe
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
200 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 200 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 its 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 therein.
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 preeminence, 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 that this present Constitution can never
be revoked or modified, but shall for ever 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 200
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
non-observance 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 by that very fact to the Apostolic Treasury. In
the case of those resident in other parts of the world, it shall
be automatic excommunication and 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 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 Apostles, at those of the Apostolic
Chancery, and at the end of the Campo dei 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 St. 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.