THE ROMAN RITE
The Traditional Roman Liturgy
A guide to the liturgical books, calendar and worship of the Roman Rite as celebrated according to the liturgical books in force in 1962.
The principal liturgical books
The Roman Missal
The Missal contains the prayers and readings for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: the Ordinary, the Proper of the Season, the Proper of Saints, votive Masses and other formularies. The 1962 edition is a commonly referenced edition for the traditional Roman liturgy.
The Roman Breviary
The Breviary contains the Church’s daily public prayer, traditionally arranged around the canonical hours. Its psalms, antiphons, hymns, lessons and collects sanctify the hours of the day.
The Roman Ritual
The Ritual contains rites for sacraments and sacramentals ordinarily administered by priests, including Baptism, Penance, Holy Communion outside Mass, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, funerals, blessings and processions.
The Roman Pontifical
The Pontifical contains rites proper to bishops, including ordinations, confirmations, consecrations and other solemn ceremonies.
The traditional liturgical year
The year is structured around the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Septuagesima, Lent, Easter and the time after Pentecost, together with feasts of Our Lord, Our Lady and the saints. The 1962 calendar has its own ranking and arrangement of feasts; it should not be confused with the post-1969 General Roman Calendar.
Important note on present-day use
The historical description of the 1962 books is distinct from the question of where and under what conditions they may be used today. The current discipline is governed by the Holy See and competent ecclesiastical authorities. Readers should consult the diocesan bishop and official Vatican documents for current norms rather than relying on an outdated website summary.
Primary reference: The 1962 typical editions of the Roman Missal, Breviary, Ritual and Pontifical. A future edition of this library should link to lawful scans or recognised repositories and identify the edition and publication details of every text.