Mysterii Paschalis

Mysterii Paschalis is an apostolic letter issued motu proprio (that is, "of his own accord") by Pope Paul VI on 14 February 1969. It reorganized the liturgical year of the Roman Rite and revised the liturgical celebrations of Jesus Christ and the saints in the General Roman Calendar.

Context

By this document, Pope Paul VI implemented the Second Vatican Council's norms for restoring the liturgical year and "approve[d] by Our apostolic authority…the new Roman Universal Calendar…and likewise the general norms concerning the arrangement of the liturgical year".[1]

On 21 March of the same year the Congregation of Rites promulgated the revised norms on the liturgical year and the calendar by a decree signed by the Prefect Cardinal Benno Gut and the Secretary Ferdinando Giuseppe Antonelli. The motu proprio and the decree were included, with an unofficial commentary by the Council for the Proper Implementation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, in the book Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969).

The new norms became effective on 1 January 1970.

Liturgical year

The principles indicated in the document Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year were declared applicable both to the Roman Rite and to all other liturgical rites, while the practical norms were to be understood as intended for the Roman Rite alone except in so far as by their very nature they concerned other rites as well.[2]

A liturgical day is defined as running from midnight to midnight except for Sundays and solemnities, which begin on the previous evening.[3]

Sunday, as the day of the resurrection of Christ, is the primordial feast day and does not admit other celebrations of rank below that of a solemnity or a feast of the Lord. In Advent, Lent and Easter, Sundays outrank even solemnities. With a very few exceptions, other celebrations are as a rule not to be assigned so that they always fall on a Sunday. The exceptions are the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the Baptism of the Lord, Trinity Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King, and, where any of these is not a holy day of obligation, Epiphany, Ascension of the Lord, and the Body and Blood of Christ.[4]

A new ranking of liturgical days in the Roman Rite was established with regard to celebrations of saints. In accordance with the relative importance of the celebrations, they are ranked as solemnities, feasts, or memorials. The solemnities of the Nativity of the Lord and Easter each have an octave, and memorials can be either obligatory or optional.[5]

Saints of worldwide significance are to be celebrated everywhere, while others are to listed in the General Calendar as optional or are to be left to local or national calendars or those of religious institutes.[6]

Weekdays of special importance are Ash Wednesday and the days of Holy Week, which outrank all other celebrations, and also the Advent weekdays from 17 December to 24 December, and all the weekdays of Lent.[7]

Special norms apply also to the Paschal Triduum, Eastertide, Lent, Christmastide, Advent, Ordinary Time, and Rogation and Ember days.

Overview of changes to the Proper of Saints

The volume Calendarium Romanum that presented the 1969 revision of the liturgical year and the General Roman Calendar, pointed out that, while the Tridentine Calendar, Pope Pius V's 1568 revision of the Roman Calendar, contained only 65 feasts of double rank, the General Roman Calendar of 1960 had 21 first-class feasts, 31 second-class, and 180 third-class, as well as 106 commemorations. Some were feasts of saints who died later than 1568, others were added as devotional feasts or because monarchs and religious institutes wanted their own saints inserted. Indeed, before the reform of Pope Pius X, feasts were gladly added for the reason that celebration of Matins on a saint's day involved recitation of only nine short psalms instead of the 18 long psalms assigned on Sundays and the 12 long psalms assigned on weekdays. Accordingly, the Second Vatican Council decreed: "Lest the feasts of the saints should take precedence over the feasts which commemorate the very mysteries of salvation, many of them should be left to be celebrated by a particular Church or nation or family of religious; only those should be extended to the universal Church which commemorate saints who are truly of universal importance."[8]

Of devotional feasts, not celebrating an event in the mystery of salvation, Pope Pius V retained only two in the Tridentine Calendar (Corpus Christi and Feast of the Holy Trinity), but the following centuries saw the addition of feasts of the Holy Name of Mary (1683), Our Lady of Ransom (1696), Our Lady of the Rosary (1716), Holy Name of Jesus (1721), Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1726), Compassion of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1727), Seven Sorrows of Mary (1814), Precious Blood of Christ (1849), Sacred Heart of Jesus (1856), Our Lady of Lourdes (1907), Holy Family (1921), Christ the King (1925), Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1931), Immaculate Heart of Mary (1942), Queenship of Mary (1954), and Saint Joseph the Worker (1955).[9]

The devotional feasts of the Lord that have been kept with high ranking are Trinity Sunday, Body and Blood of Christ, Christ the King, the Holy Family, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Holy Name of Jesus was at first removed but later restored as an optional memorial.[10]

The devotional feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary that have been kept are those of her Motherhood of God (a solemnity), her Queenship, Sorrow, Rosary, and Presentation (obligatory memorials), and as optional memorials Our Lady of Lourdes, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and the Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major. Reduction of the number of devotional feasts of Our Lady results in raising of profile of the feasts of the Lord closely associated with the Mother of Jesus (the Annunciation and the Presentation of the Lord) and of the major feasts of mysteries of her life (Immaculate Conception, Nativity, Visitation, and Assumption).[11]

Progress in historical and hagiographical studies led to distinguishing three classes of saints included in the 1960 calendar that it seemed better not to keep in the revision. One class is that of the saints about whom there are serious historical problems. It cannot be affirmed that they did not exist, but the lack of clear grounds for venerating them led to their exclusion from the 1969 calendar with the single exception of Saint Cecilia (22 November) by reason of popular devotion to her. Another class is that of those ancient Roman martyrs about whom there is clear historical evidence but of whom little, if anything, is known other than their names, with the result that they have little meaning for the faithful of today. A third class is that of the founders of the ancient Roman churches known as tituli and about whom there exists a specific genre of legends. For lack of evidence that they were martyrs or confessors, as pictured in the legends, they were excluded from the revision, again with the single exception of Saint Cecilia.[12]

While the many Roman martyrs and popes that remained (the popes reduced from 38 to 15)[13] ensured that the tradition of a Roman calendar was preserved, the revised calendar also endeavored to maintain a certain geographical and chronological balance, by selecting from the martyrs inscribed in the 1960 calendar, the more famous ancient saints and those best known at a popular level in Rome and elsewhere, and adding some medieval and modern martyrs from different countries. A similar selection was made among non-martyr saints, with the result that 30 were removed to particular calendars. For the sake of geographical balance, most of these were Italians.[14]

Changes to the General Roman Calendar

The following are changes introduced in 1969 by removal or transfer of celebrations in the calendar as it stood immediately before. Celebrations that remained unaltered or were newly-added are not indicated.

The explanations given are those published in Calendarium Romanum in 1969.[15] By "particular calendars" are meant those of "a particular Church or nation or family of religious".[8] The phrase "truly of universal importance" is also taken from the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.[8]

January

• Telephorus, 5 January, added in 1602, deleted: the feast was originally that of an otherwise unknown martyr, who was not a pope.
• Hyginus, 11 January, added in the 12th century, deleted; not a martyr and the date of his death is unknown.
• Hilary, 14 January, moved to the date of his death, 13 January.
• Felix, 14 January, not a martyr; left to particular calendars.
• Paul, first hermit, 15 January, added in the 12th century, left to particular calendars in view of problems concerning the historicity of Saint Jerome's Life of him.
• Maur, 15 January, added in the 12th century, left to particular calendars: he was mistakenly identified with the Saint Maurus mentioned in the Roman Martyrology for this day.
• Marcellus, 16 January, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Prisca, 18 January, left to the calendar of the Roman basilica that bears that name: her Acts are not only fabulous but also concern a different saint.
• Maris, Martha, Abachum and Audifax, 19 January, added in the 9th century, deleted: nothing is known of them other than their names and place of burial.
• Canute, 19 January, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Anastasius, 22 January, added in the 12th century, left to particular calendars.
• Emerentiana, 23 January, added in the 9th century, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of her other than her name and place of burial.
• Raymond of Penyafort, 23 January, moved to day after his death, 7 January.
• Timothy, 24 January, moved to 26 January, joined with Titus.
• Commemoration of Saint Peter on 25 January, deleted.
• Polycarp, 26 January, moved to date of his death, 23 February.
• John Chrysostom, 27 January, moved to day before his death, 13 September.
• Peter Nolasco, 28 January, added in 1664, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• 2nd Feast of Agnes, 28 January, deleted as a duplicate of her feast on 21 January.
• Francis de Sales, 29 January, moved to 24 January, day of his burial at Annecy in 1624.
• Martina, 30 January, added in 1635, left to the calendar of the Roman basilica dedicated under the name of that person, of whom nothing is known.
• Sunday between 2 and 5 January: Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, deleted: celebrated also on 1 January. The Mass is placed among the votive Masses.
• Sunday after Epiphany: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, moved to within the Octave of Christmas.

February

• Ignatius, 1 February, moved to date of his death, 17 October.
• Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2 February, renamed Presentation of the Lord.
• Andrew Corsini, 4 February, added in 1666, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Titus, 6 February, joined with Timothy on 26 January.
• Dorothy, 6 February, added in the 13th century, deleted: her acts are completely fabulous.
• Romuald, 7 February, moved to date of his death, 19 June.
• John of Matha, 8 February, added in 1679, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Cyril of Alexandria, 9 February, moved to date of his death, 27 June.
• Apollonia, 9 February, added in the 13th century, left to particular calendars.
• Apparition of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, 11 February, renamed Our Lady of Lourdes.
• Seven Founders of the Servite Order, 12 February, moved to date of Alexis Falconieri's death, 17 February.
• Valentine, 14 February, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of him other than his name and place of burial.
• Faustinus and Jovita, 15 February, added in the 13th century, deleted: their Acts are completely fabulous.
• Simeon, 18 February, added in the 12th century, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Peter Damian, 23 February, moved to date of his death, 21 February.
• Matthias, 24 February, moved to 14 May.
• Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, 27 February, added in 1932, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".

March

• Lucius I, 4 March, added in 1602, deleted: not a martyr.
• Perpetua and Felicity, 6 March, moved to date of their death, 7 March.
• Thomas Aquinas, 7 March, often falls in Lent, therefore moved to the date of transfer of his body, 28 January.
• Forty Martyrs, 10 March, added in the 12th century, deleted: many questions have been raised about the veracity of their Acts.
• Gregory the Great, 12 March, always falls in Lent, therefore moved to the date of his episcopal consecration, 3 September.
• Benedict, 21 March, always falls in Lent, therefore moved to 11 July, a date on which he has been celebrated in many places since the 8th century.
• Gabriel, 24 March, added in 1921, now joined to Michael and Raphael on 29 September.
• Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 25 March, renamed Annunciation of the Lord.
• John Damascene, 27 March, moved to date of his death, 4 December.
• John of Capistrano, 28 March, moved to 14 October, his date of death
• Friday before Palm Sunday, Seven Sorrows of Mary, deleted as a duplicate of the 15 September feast

April

• Leo I, 11 April, moved to date of his death, 10 November.
• Hermenegild, 13 April, added in 1632, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Justin, 14 April, moved to 1 June, the date used in the Byzantine Rite.
• Tiburtius, Valerian, and Maximus, 14 April, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of them other than their names and place of burial.
• Anicetus, 17 April, added in the 12th century, deleted: not a martyr and his date of death is unknown.
• Soter and Caius, 22 April, added in the 13th century, deleted: not martyrs and the date of death of the former is unknown.
• The Greater Litany, 25 April, deleted as practically a duplicate of the Rogation days.
• Cletus and Marcellinus, 26 April, added in the 13th century, deleted: Cletus seems not to be a martyr; his date of death is unknown and that of Marcellinus is disputed.
• Peter Canisius, 27 April, moved to date of his death, 21 December.
• Paul of the Cross, 28 April, moved to 19 October, the date after that of his death.
• Peter of Verona, 29 April, added in 1586, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Catherine of Siena, 30 April, moved to date of her death, 29 April.

May

• Alexander, Eventius, and Theodolus, and Juvenal, 3 May, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of them other than their names and the place and day of their burial.
• Monica, 4 May, moved to 27 August, the day before the memorial of her son.
• Pius V, 5 May, moved to day before his death, 30 April.
• Stanislaus, 7 May, moved to date of his death, 11 April.
• Gregory Nazianzen, 9 May, joined with Basil the Great, moved to 2 January.
• Antoninus, 10 May, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Gordian and Epimachus, 10 May, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of them other than their names and the place and day of their burial.
• Philip and James, 11 May, moved to 3 May, the first day free after that of their ancient feast.
• Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla, and Pancras, 12 May: Nereus and Achilleus and Pancras celebrated separately; Domitilla, added in 1595 removed as without basis in tradition
• Robert Bellarmine, 13 May, moved to date of his death, 17 September.
• Boniface (Martyr), 14 May, deleted: the Passion of Saint Boniface of Tarsus is completely fabulous.
• John Baptiste de la Salle, 17 May, moved to date of his death, 7 April.
• Ubald, 16 May, added in 1605, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Paschal Baylon, 17 May, added in 1784, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Venantius, 18 May, added in 1670, left to particular calendars: many difficulties have been raised about the veracity of his Acts.
• Peter Celestine, 19 May, added in 1668, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Pudentiana, 19 May, left to the calendar of the Roman basilica that bears her name: there is no certainty about the historical value of her Acts.
• Urban I, 25 May, deleted: this martyr was not in fact the pope.
• Eleutherius, 26 May, deleted: not a martyr and his date of burial is unknown.
• Bede, 27 May, moved to the date of his death, 25 May.
• John I, 27 May, moved to the date of his death, 18 May.
• Augustine of Canterbury, 28 May, moved to the date after his death, 27 May.
• Mary Magdalen de Pazzis, 29 May, moved to date of her death, 25 May.
• Felix I, 30 May, deleted: the martyr that ancient liturgical books celebrated on this day was not the pope.
• Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen, 31 May, moved to 22 August, renamed Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
• Petronilla, 31 May, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of her other than her name and date and place of burial.

June

• Angela Merici, 1 June moved to date of her death, 27 January.
• Erasmus, 2 June, left to particular calendars.
• Francis Caracciolo, 4 June, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Primus and Felician, 9 June, left to particular calendars.
• Margaret of Scotland, 10 June, moved to the date of her death, 16 November.
• John of San Facundo, 12 June, added in 1729, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor and Nazarius, 12 June, deleted: their Passion is completely fabulous.
• Basil the Great, 14 June, moved to the day after his death, 2 January, and joined to Gregory Nazianzen.
• Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia, 15 June: Vitus is left to particular calendars; Modestus and Crescentia appear to be fictitious.
• Gregory Barbarigo, 17 June, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Ephrem, 18 June, moved to the date of his death, 9 June.
• Mark and Marcellianus, 18 June, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of these martyrs other than their names and the place and day of their burial.
• Juliana Falconieri, 19 June, added in 1738, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Gervase and Protase, 19 June, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of these martyrs other than the discovery of their relics by Saint Ambrose,
• Silverius, 20 June, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Vigil of the Nativity of John the Baptist, 23 June, reduced to the optional evening Mass.
• William, 25 June, added in 1785, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• John and Paul, 26 June, left to the Roman basilica named for them: from the historical point of view there are many difficulties concerning their Passion.
• Vigil of Peter and Paul, 28 June, reduced to the optional evening Mass.
• Commemoration of Paul, 30 June, abandoned: it was added to enable the Pope to follow up the 29 June celebration in Saint Peter's with another in Saint Paul's on the following day; but outside of Rome there is no need for this twofold celebration.

July

• Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 July, added in 1849, joined to Corpus Christi, deleted: the Precious Blood of Christ is celebrated in the solemnities of the Passion, in those of Body of Christ and of the Sacred Heart and on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. The Mass of the Precious Blood is placed among the votive Masses.
• Visitation of the BVM, 2 July, moved to 31 May, between the celebration of the Annunciation and that of the Birth of John the Baptist.
• Processus and Martinian, 2 July, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of these martyrs other than their names and the date and place of their burial.
• Irenaeus, 3 July, moved to date of his death, 28 June.
• Cyril and Methodius, 7 July, moved to date of Cyril's death, 14 February.
• Elizabeth of Portugal, 8 July, moved to date of her death, 4 July.
• Seven Holy Brothers, 10 July, deleted: their Passion is completely fabulous, and the day was in reality dedicated to four distinct commemorations.
• Rufina and Secunda, 10 July, left to particular calendars: of these two saints nothing is known other than their names and their place of burial
• Pius I, 11 July, deleted: not a martyr and his date of death is unknown.
• John Gualbert, 12 July, added in 1595, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Nabor and Felix, 12 July, left to particular calendars.
• Bonaventure, 14 July, moved to date of his death, 15 July.
• Henry II, 15 July, moved to date of his death, 13 July.
• Alexius, 17 July, deleted: his Life is fabulous.
• Camillus de Lellis, 18 July, moved to date of his death, 14 July.
• Symphorosa and her seven sons, 18 July, deleted: their Acts are untrustworthy and are thought to be an imitation of the Passion of Saint Felicitas and Her Seven Sons.
• Vincent de Paul, 19 July, moved to date of his death, 27 September.
• Jerome Emiliani, 20 July, moved to date of his death, 8 February.
• Margaret of Antioch, 20 July, deleted: the Acts of Saint Margaret or Marina are entirely fabulous.
• Praxedes, 21 July, left to the Roman basilica of that name: the Acts of Saint Praxedes are fabulous.
• Apollinaris, 23 July, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Liborius, 23 July, added in 1702, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Christina 24 July, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of her other than her name and her burial at Bolsena.
• Christopher, 25 July, left to particular calendars: although the Acts of Saint Christopher are fabulous, there are ancient testimonies to his veneration; but devotion to this saint is not part of the Roman tradition.
• Anne, 26 July, joined by Joachim, her husband.
• Pantaleon, 27 July, left to particular calendars: scarcely anything is known of this eastern martyr, and his Acts are fabulous.
• Nazarius and Celsus, 28 July, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of them other than the discovery of their relics by Saint Ambrose
• Victor I, 28 July, deleted: not a martyr and the date of his death is unknown.
• Innocent I, 28 July, deleted: he died on 12 March 417, not on 28 July.
• Felix, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of this martyr other than his name and his place and day of burial.
• Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrice, 29 July, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of these martyrs other than their names and their place and day of burial.
• Abdon and Sennen, 30 July, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of these martyrs other than their names and their place and day of burial.

August

• Holy Machabees, 1 August, left to particular calendars: until 1960 they were merely commemorated in the celebration of Saint Peter in Chains; under the revised rules, the memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, now on 1 August, does not admit commemorations.
• Alphonsus Liguori, 2 August, moved to date of his death, 1 August.
• Stephen I, 2 August, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Dominic, 4 August, moved to 8 August.
• Dedication of Our Lady of Snows, 5 August, renamed Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major with no mention of its fabled foundation.
• Sixtus II and Companions, 6 August, moved to 7 August, since 6 August is reserved for the feast of the Transfiguration.
• Donatus, 7 August, left to particular calendars: not a martyr; his Acts are fabulous.
• John Vianney, 8 August, moved to date of his death, 4 August.
• Cyriacus, Largus and Smaragdus, 8 August, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of these martyrs other than their names and the place and day of their burial.
• Vigil of Laurence, 9 August, deleted.
• Romanus, 9 August, left to particular calendars: his Acts are fabulous and devotion to him is unknown in the ancient tradition of Rome.
• Tiburtius, 11 August, left to particular calendars: of him nothing is known other than his name and the place and day of his burial.
• Susanna, 11 August, left to the calendar of the Roman basilica of that name: her fabulous Acts were composed as an explanation of the title of that basilica.
• Clare, 12 August, moved to date of her death, 11 August.
• Hippolytus, 13 August, celebrated jointly with Pontian.
• Cassian, 13 August, left to particular calendars: his devotion to him is not part of Roman tradition
• Vigil of Assumption, 14 August, reduced to the optional evening Mass.
• Eusebius, 14 August, left to the calendar of the Roman basilica that bears that name.
• Joachim, 16 August, joined with Anne, moved to 26 July.
• Hyacinth of Poland, 17 August, added in 1625, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Agapitus, 18 August, left to particular calendars: his Acts are completely fabulous.
• Jane Frances de Chantal, 21 August, moved to the day before her death, 12 December.
• Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 22 August, moved to Saturday after the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
• Timothy, 22 August, left to particular calendars: of Timothy nothing is known other than his name and his place and day of burial.
• Hippolytus, 22 August, deleted, as a duplicate of the same saint's feast on 13 August.
• Symphorian, 22 August, left to particular calendars: devotion to him is not part of Roman tradition.
• Philip Benizi, 23 August, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Zephyrinus, 26 August, deleted: not a martyr and his date of death is unknown.
• Joseph Calasanctius, 27 August, moved to date of his death, 25 August.
• Hermes, 28 August, left to particular calendars: of him nothing is known other than his name and the place and day of his burial.
• Sabina, 29 August, left to the calendar of the Roman basilica that bears that name: her Acts are fabulous.
• Rose of Lima, 30 August, moved to day before her death, 23 August.
• Felix and Adauctus, 30 August, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of these martyrs other than their names and the place and day of their burial.
• Raymond Nonnatus, 31 August, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".

September

• Giles, 1 September, left to particular calendars: his Acts are fabulous and devotion to him is not part of Roman tradition.
• Twelve Holy Brothers, 1 September, deleted: their Acts are fabulous; these martyrs who suffered in different places in Lucania were not blood brothers.
• Stephen of Hungary, 2 September, moved to day after his death, 16 August.
• Pius X, 3 September, moved to day after his death, 21 August.
• Laurence Justinian, 5 September, added in 1690, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Hadrian, 8 September, left to particular calendars: an unknown eastern martyr devotion to whom was accepted in Rome because of a basilica dedicated to him in the Roman Forum.
• Gorgonius, 9 September, left to particular calendars: of him nothing is known other than his name and his place and day of burial.
• Nicholas of Tolentino, 10 September, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Protus and Hyacinth, 11 September, left to particular calendars: of these two martyrs nothing is known other than their names and the place and day of their burial.
• Name of Mary, 12 September, added in 1684, deleted as a duplicate of the celebration of the Birth of Mary.
• Seven Sorrows of Mary, 15 September, name changed to Our Lady of Sorrows.
• Nicomedes, 15 September, left to particular calendars: of him nothing is known other than his name and the place and day of burial.
• Euphemia, 16 September, left to particular calendars: her Acts are completely fabulous.
• Lucy and Geminianus, 16 September, deleted: duplicates the 13 December feast of Saint Lucy, while Geminianus appears to be merely fictitious.
• Stigmata of Francis, 17 September, added in 1585, deleted: duplicates 4 October.
• Joseph of Cupertino, 18 September, added in 1769, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Januarius and Companions, 19 September, renamed to remove "and Companions".
• Eustace and Companions, 20 September, deleted: the Passion of Saint Eustace is completely fabulous.
• Thomas of Villanova, 22 September, added in 1659, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Maurice and Companions, 22 September, left to particular calendars: many historical problems are found in their Passion, and they do not belong to Roman tradition.
• Linus, Thecla; 23 September, deleted: his day of death is unknown and he seems not to be a martyr.
• Our Lady of Ransom, 24 September, left to particular calendars: a devotion associated with the origins of the Mercedarian Order.
• Cyprian and Justina, 26 September, deleted: fictitious characters.
• Cosmas and Damian, 27 September, moved to 26 September.
• Dedication of Michael the Archangel, 29 September, renamed/joined with Raphael and Gabriel

October

• Remigius, 1 October, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Teresa of the Child Jesus, 3 October, moved to day after her death, 1 October.
• Placid and Companions, 5 October, added in 1588, deleted: it is agreed that Saint Placidus, the disciple of Saint Benedict, is distinct from this unknown Sicilian martyr.
• Mark (Pope), 7 October, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Bridget, 8 October, moved to date of her death, 23 July.
• Sergius, 8 October, deleted: devotion to him is not part of Roman tradition.
• Marcellus, 8 October, deleted: devotion to him is not part of Roman tradition.
• Bacchus and Apuleius, 8 October, deleted: the Life of each is completely fabulous
• Francis Borgia, 10 October, added in 1688, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 11 October, celebrated in the solemnity of 1 January.
• Edward, 13 October, added in 1679, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Margaret Mary Alacoque, 17 October, moved to 16 October, the day before her death.
• Peter of Alcantara, 19 October, added in 1670, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• John of Kanty, 20 October, moved to the day before his death, 23 December.
• Hilarion, 21 October, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Ursula and Companions, 21 October, deleted: their Passion is completely fabulous; not even the names of the virgin saints killed at Cologne at an uncertain time are known.
• Anthony Maria Claret, 23 October, moved to date of his death, 24 October.
• Raphael, 24 October, joined with Michael and Gabriel, moved to 29 September.
• Chrysanthus and Daria, 25 October, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of them apart from their names and the place of burial at uncertain dates.
• Evaristus, 26 October, deleted: not a martyr and his day of death is unknown.
• Christ the King, Last Sunday of October moved to Last Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Sunday before Advent.

November

• Vitalis and Agricola, 4 November, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of these martyrs other than the discovery of their relics by Saint Ambrose,
• Holy Four Crowned Martyrs, 8 November, left to particular calendars: from the historical point of view there are many difficulties concerning these martyrs.
• Dedication of the Archbasilica of the Holy Saviour, 9 November, renamed Dedication of the Lateran Basilica.
• Theodore, 9 November, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of this martyr.
• Andrew Avellino, 10 November, added in 1725, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Tryphon, Respicius, and Nympha, 10 November, deleted: nothing is known of these martyrs, none of whom was of Rome.
• Mennas, 11 November, left to particular calendars: for centuries not popular in the West.
• Martin I, 12 November, moved to date of his death, 13 April.
• Didacus of Alcala, 13 November, added in 1588, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Josaphat, 14 November, moved to date of his death, 12 November.
• Gregory Thaumaturgus, 17 November, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Elizabeth of Hungary, 19 November, moved to date of her death, 17 November.
• Pontian, 19 November, moved to 13 August joined with Hippolytus.
• Felix of Valois, 20 November, added in 1679, left to particular calendars: from the historical point of view the documents concerning his life present many difficulties.
• Felicitas, 23 November, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of this martyr other than her name and the place and day of her burial.
• John of the Cross, 24 November, moved to date of his death, 14 December.
• Chrysogonus, 24 November, left to the calendar of the Roman basilica that bears that name: the Passion of Saint Chrysogonus is entirely fabulous, and he seems not to have been a martyr.
• Catherine, 25 November, deleted: the Passion of Saint Catherine is entirely fabulous and nothing certain can be stated about her.
• Sylvester (Abbot), added in 1890, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Peter of Alexandria, 26 November, left to particular calendars: devotion to him is not part of Roman tradition. (Yet, a commemoration of "Peter, bishop of {Alexandria}, adorned with all virtues" is found listed in the official Roman Martyrology that the Catholic Church utilized up until and following the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council [1962-65].)[16]
• Saturninus, 29 November, left to particular calendars: nothing is known of him other than his name and the place and day of his burial.

December

• Viviana, 2 December, left to the calendar of the Roman basilica bearing that name of an unknown person.
• Peter Chrysologus, 4 December, moved to the day before his death, 30 July.
• Barbara, 4 December, deleted: her Acts are completely fabulous and there is much disagreement among scholars about where she was martyred.
• Sabbas, 5 December, left to particular calendars: not "truly of universal importance".
• Melchiades, 10 December, left to particular calendars: died not as a martyr after the Peace of Constantine.
• Eusebius, 16 December, moved to the day after his death, 2 August.
• Thomas, 21 December, moved to the date of the transfer of his relics, 3 July, in order not to interrupt the series of major weekdays leading to Christmas
• Vigil of Christmas, 24 December, reduced to the optional evening Mass.
• Note: the commemoration of Saint Anastasia previously included in the second Mass of Christmas Day, 25 December, is omitted in line with the rule in the revised Roman Missal: "At Mass only a single Collect is ever said",[17] and was not mentioned in the commentary on the revision of General Roman Calendar, which says of 25 December: "No change.".[18]

See also

• General Roman Calendar
• General Roman Calendar of 1960
• General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII
• General Roman Calendar of 1954
• Tridentine Calendar

References

1. "Motu Proprio Mysterii Paschalis". Paul VI – Motu Proprio – The Holy See – The Holy Father. Vatican:the Holy See. 23 November 2004. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
2. Norm 2
3. Norm 3
4. Norms 4-7
5. Norms 8-15
6. Norm 9
7. Norm 16
8. Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, 111
9. Calendarium Romanum, pp. 66–67.
10. Calendarium Romanum, p. 67.
11. Calendarium Romanum, pp. 67–68.
12. Calendarium Romanum, pp. 68–70
13. The 1960 calendar had already deleted the feast of Saint Anacletus and had removed the description "pope and martyr" from Saints Alexander (3 May) and Saint Felix (29 July).
14. Calendarium Romanum, pp. 70–75.
15. Calendarium Romanum (in Latin). Sacred Congregation of Rites. 1969. pp. 112-149.
16. http://www.boston-catholic-journal.com/roman-martrylogy-in-english/roman-martyrology-november-in-english.htm#November_26th
17. General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 54
18. Calendarium Romanum (1969), p. 148

External links

• Mysterii Paschalis