REVIEW: Rituale Romanum from Nova et Vetera

The nice people at Nova et Vetera sent me an edition of their reprint of the Rituale Romanum.

Their site says:

 This is the first edition of the Rituale Romanum since 1957. It is based upon the last Editio typica of 1952, supplemented by all the benedictions approved by the Holy See until 1957. This new edition complies with canon law and regulations and was granted the Imprimatur according to can. 826 II CIC by His Excellency Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke OSB.

In contrast to the editions of 1952 and 1957 the new edition contains the traditional Vulgate psalms.

So, this is effectively the version of the Rituale, mutatis mutandis, that was in force in 1962.

Keep in mind that this is a Latin only book.  It is not like the Collectio Rituum which had English.

Here it is in the slip cover.

The size. At 672 pages it is 20 mm thick!

It looks like leather, but it isn’t.

The title page.  You can see that this is the “1st edition according to the typical edition”.

The necessary document from the Bishop of Eichstätt, Most Rev. Gregor Maria Franz Hanke, O.S.B.

The edition has the nice “bible paper”. strong but thin, at 40 grams per square meter. Regular copy paper is 80 gsm. Cream color rather than white.

The 19th century engravings were edited and partly redrawn, presumably to make them show up clearly in the printing process.

There are two ribbons, one gold, the other red.

We all will enjoy the Anti-Modernism Oath.

Here is how the binding looks on the inside.  The spine cover is not glued down to the spine.  The papers seems sturdy.

Not leather, but it looks very much like the old German editions of rituals and breviaries.

You can just make out that this is embossed with “nova et vetera”.

The corners are rounded.

The price is 67 EURO, or today about $87 without shipping.

This book is very nice and easy to read.  I like the type face and the double columns for psalms.  And I like the psalms too!  They are the older, Vulgate psalms.  The red of the of the rubrics is clearly red, but it is not garish.  It assaileth not the eye.

In the very back there are two additional blessings include which were approved only in 1956.  These are the Blessing for Stone Quarries (Lapicidinarum) and a Blessing for a Marble Workshop.  Not used everyday, but hey!  There they are.  I once adapted the Blessing for Mountain Climbing Equipment for use on the hardware that was to replace a monsignor’s knee.

The book is useful for when you want to use Latin only and then explain, before or after, what you said and did.  That means that you have to know your Latin.  It also makes for some great reading!   I think priests should occasionally review the table of contents of their personal copies of the Rituale so that, when opportunity knocks, you know a) that there is an appropriate blessing and b) where to find it and how to make the necessary male/female and singular/plural changes.

A good gift for a priest or seminarian.  A bishop, too, for that matter!