LITURGICAL DIRECTORY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC INSTITUTE


1. The general liturgical principle of the Institute is to preserve the traditional Roman liturgy. The Institute holds that the changes which were made to the Roman liturgy by the Commission for the Reform of the Liturgy, founded by Pope Pius XII in 1948, and headed by Annibale Bugnini, were transitory changes which were made in view of the Novus Ordo Missæ of 1969. Consequently the Institute shall reject any changes made at the suggestion of the aforesaid commission, even if promulgated by Pope Pius XII. The Institute holds that, although these changes were duly promulgated by Pope Pius XII, the acceptance of them in the light of the changes of Vatican II would be harmful to the stated end, namely the preservation of the traditional Roman liturgy. Nonetheless, the Institute does not regard the liturgical changes of Pope Pius XII as sinful to observe or attend, or as non-Catholic, but does regard them as a prelude to the ultimate changes of Vatican II, to which their author, Annibale Bugnini, attests.

2. The members of the Roman Catholic Institute shall adhere to the Roman Missal of Saint Pius V, the Roman Breviary of Saint Pius V, together with the additions and reforms made up to and including the year 1948, exclusive.

The members of the Institute shall adhere to the Roman Pontifical by Pope Benedict XIV and Pope Leo XIII and the Roman Ritual promulgated by Pope Benedict XIV.

3. The Institute shall accept any and all canonizations of saints made up to October 9, 1958, and shall reject as invalid any canonizations which were attempted thereafter.

4. The Institute shall accept any feast days of the universal calendar which were established up to December 31st, 1954, and shall reject any made thereafter.

5. The Institute shall reject the reformed Holy Week rite which was promulgated in 1955, including earlier reforms which were permitted in 1951.

6. The Institute shall accept all changes made to the eucharistic fast made by Pope Pius XII.

7. The members of the Institute shall not use gothic-style vestments; they shall use only Roman-, French-, German-, and Spanish-style vestments. The San Filippo (Renaissance) style is also permitted.

8. The members of the Institute shall use only the Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible when citing or reading Sacred Scripture in English, and shall use only the Sixto-Clementine Vulgate when citing or reading Sacred Scripture in Latin.

9. The Institute rejects the use of the translation of the Psalms promulgated for optional use by Pope Pius XII in 1945.

10. The members of the Institute reject the use of the Dialogue Mass.

11. Bishops and priests of the Institute shall observe the rubrics of the Roman Missal regarding the mention of the name of the pope and bishop during the vacancy of each of these sees.

12. Members of the Institute may not say Mass or conduct any public or private devotions in a church or chapel that is commonly used for the Novus Ordo Mass. The veneration of a relic or of a sacred image in these locations is permitted.

13. The members of the Institute may not show any signs of veneration of what purports to be the Blessed Sacrament in Novus Ordo churches, or of their altars.

14. The members of the Institute shall conform all liturgical rites and ceremonies to the instructions found in the Rubricæ Generales of the Roman Missal and Breviary, in the Cæremoniale Episcoporum, and in the Rituale Romanum, and in the books of approved traditional rubricists, such as Martinucci, Moretti, Van der Stappen, O’Connell, O’Kane, Le Vavasseur, and others which are approved by the Superior General. Local or national customs, provided that they are long-standing and not contrary to the rubrics, should also be observed.

I, the undersigned, do hereby freely accept to abide by this Liturgical Directory.

(There follows the signatures of the member and of the Superior General).