Expert: Fr. Michael - 7/17/2006

Question
Hello,

I have been trying to find a good Tridentine Roman Breviary, preferably pre-1962.  I was told that Venerable Pope Pius XII changed the Psalter a bit, and Blessed Pope John XXIII abridged some of the psalms, so I was recommended to find something from before 1956.

Do you know of any sources for pre-1956 Breviaries that have both Latin and English (i.e., Latin and then the English translation on the other side)?  Do most of these have some sort of guide to determining which day of the calendar one should be praying?  

Also, concerning religious orders, do you know of any Franciscan, Benedictine, Carmelite, Dominican, or other orders that still use the Tridentine Breviary?  I was hoping to use this instead of the current Breviary, as the translations of the Psalms do not seem as faithful to the prayerful spirit of the Douay-Rheims or other Bibles.  I think the New American Bible is, frankly, a very poor translation.  I have been using www.universalis.com, but they do not have a complete Divine Office.

Thank you for your help and God bless you.

Answer
Since the obligation of Office is that it be recited or chanted in Latin, there are no such "bilingual" editions.

The so-called Pius XII Psalter was not a replacement for St. Jerome's Vulgate but an option.  It was unnecessary and a particularly bad job done by the Jesuits, and John XXIII essentially suppressed it.

That having been said, your contact was correct in recommending the unadulterated Breviary before 1956.  For the Calendar, one uses an Ordo, which is issued each year.

There are a number of traditional orders, yes, but only the Dominicans and Benedictines had a slightly different office.

For further information, check at:
  www.traditio.com/tradlib/faq05.txt (on Breviaries)
  www.traditio.com/off.htm (for Ordos)

For the rest, consult the Official Traditional Catholic Directory at 800-288-4677 or www.iuniverse.com/bookstore