30th November 1969

As has been discussed extensively in various places, 30th November 1969 - being the First Sunday of Advent - was the formal introduction day of the New Order of Mass devised by Father Annibale Bugnini CM and his Consilium.  This rite was approved (at every stage of development) by and published under the authority of Pope Saint Paul VI.

Between 1964 and 1968, step by step, changes were made to the Mass of the Roman Rite, so that the final stage of an entirely New Ordo Missae did not seem so dramatic.  But indeed it was significant.  Many of the words were the same as before, but they were ritually arranged in a very different manner.  Under the veil of "restoration" to the "earlier norms of the Fathers", ritual and textual revision took place to the Order of Mass, which were not properly restorations but often complete inventions, not based on liturgical Tradition.

The beginning of Mass used for the first time on
Advent Sunday 1969.

The most significant change in December 1969 was what is known as The Introductory Rite.  This beginning to the Mass of Pope Paul VI was a complete construct of Fr Bugnini and the Consilium and had no precedent in the rites of the East or the West. It was the Mass as a face-to-face dialogue between the celebrant and the Assembly (the term used in the General Instruction of the New Missal).  For the first time, the celebrant offered parts of the Mass standing at a chair and directly facing the congregation.

The relative merits of these revisions have been argued at length over the last 50 years and such is not the intention of this series of articles about the Liturgical books 1964 - 1970.  An earlier post may be found here.

At the beginning of the liturgical year 1969, there were no proper liturgical books for the celebration of the New Order of Mass.  The typical edition of the new Roman Missal (in Latin) was published subsequently, during 1970 and not available in an English translation until 1975.  Initially, the propers found in the liturgical books created during the period 1964 - 1968 (now referred to as the Interim Rite) continued to be used.  In some countries, an Order of Mass leaflet or booklet was inserted into the older Missals.  The Collect, Secret and Post Communion orations of the old Missal continued to be used for a few years.

The Australian Order of Mass book.
The cover was unadorned, lacking any
Cross or other religious symbol.

In Australia, a nicely-bound Order of Mass was released in January 1970.  The Order of Mass was given both in English and Latin, side-by-side.  It was common in Australia for this Order of Mass to be used in conjunction with a hand missal from the Interim Rite period for the texts of the Orations.  Images in this post illustrate the contents of this Australian Ordo Missae.

Until the publication of the translation of the typical edition of the Roman Missal in English in 1975, only a limited number of Prefaces appeared in these Ordo Missae volumes.  These were :  Advent I; Advent II; Christmas; Epiphany; Sundays in Lent; Weekdays of Lent; The Holy Cross; Easter; Ascension; The Sacred Heart; Christ the King; The Holy Spirit; The Holy Trinity; Sundays of the Year I; Sundays of the Year II; The Eucharist; The Blessed Virgin; Saint Joseph; The Apostles; Common Preface I; Common Preface II; The Dead.

To be continued ...

The decree from the Prefect of the Congregation for
Sacred Rites concerning the commencement
of the New Order of Mass. 

The decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship
permitting the Bishops of Australia to publish a
volume for the New Order of Mass in English.

Letter of Pope Paul VI
forming a preface to the New Order of Mass
liturgical books.

In 1969, an earlier translation of the Nicene Creed
continued to be used for the Order of Mass.

The prayer at the Offertory devised by
Father Annibale Bugnini CM.

The Advent Preface I
which was the preface first used when the
New Order of Mass was introduced in 1969.

Shewing the opening of the Roman Canon
which became known as Eucharistic Prayer I

In the Appendix of this volume,
ICEL texts for Gloria, Creed &c were
included, but which had not been approved for use
in November 1969.

Read another related article here .