''Rubricarum instructum'' is an apostolic letter of

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

issued ''

motu proprio In law, ''motu proprio'' (Latin for "on his own impulse") describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party. Some jurisdictions use the term ''sua sponte'' for the same concept. In Catholic canon law, it refers to a ...

'' on July 25, 1960 promulgating the new

Code of Rubrics The Code of Rubrics is a three-part liturgical document promulgated in 1960 under Pope John XXIII, which in the form of a legal code indicated the liturgical and sacramental law governing the celebration of the Roman Rite Mass and Divine Office. ...

for both the Roman Breviary and the

Roman Missal The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of th ...

The Code of Rubrics promulgated by ''Rubricarum instructum'' (effective January 1, 1961) superseded the existing rubrics for both the Roman Breviary and the Roman Missal as previously codified in 1570 by

Pope Pius V Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...

in his papal bull ''

Quo primum ''Quo primum'' (''from the first'') is the incipit of an Apostolic constitution in the form of a papal bull issued by Pope Pius V on 14 July 1570. It promulgated the Roman Missal, and made its use obligatory throughout the Latin Church of the ...

'' and revised in 1604 by

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born ...

(''Cum sanctissimum''), 1634 by Pope Urban VIII (''Si quid est''), 1911 by Pope Pius X (''Divino afflatu''), and in 1955 by Pope Pius XII (''Cum hac nostra aetate'' and ''Maxima redemptionis''). A number of rubrical changes were introduced, including a new system of ranking the various liturgical days of the Roman rite (as days of the first, second, third, or fourth class) that superseded the traditional ranking of Sundays and feast days as doubles of varying degrees and simples. A number of simplifications were introduced into the rubrics, including the elimination of many of the patristic readings at

Matins Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning. The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which was originally celebrated b ...

and a reduction in the number of commemorations to be observed in the Office and Mass. Several changes were introduced into the rituals to be observed at Mass, such as eliminating the requirement for the celebrant to read the Epistle and Gospel at the altar during solemn Mass while the texts are chanted by the subdeacon and deacon, respectively. ''Rubricarum instructum'' also called for the publication of new typical editions of the Breviary and Missal incorporating the changes introduced by the Code of Rubrics into the text; the revised Breviary was issued in 1961, while the revised Missal was issued in 1962.

Legacy

The Code of Rubrics promulgated by ''Rubricarum instructum'' was superseded by subsequent legislation issued in 1965 and 1967, as well as by the introduction of the

Mass of Paul VI The Mass of Paul VI, also known as the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo, is the most commonly used liturgy in the Catholic Church. It is a form of the Latin Church's Roman Rite and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, published by him in the 19 ...

in 1970 and the

Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...

in 1974. However, the 1960 Code of Rubrics remains the official liturgical legislation for clergy who offer the sacraments under the provisions set forth by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

in his 2007 ''motu proprio'' '' Summorum Pontificum''.

References

Motu proprio {{CatholicChurch-stub

Contents

Legacy

References