Pontificalia Romana – Caeremoniale Romanum

^{The complete edition of Le Pontifical romain au moyen âge (Caeremoniale Romanum’s Library).}

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The Pontificale Romanum is a liturgical book of the Catholic Church describing the rites and ceremonies performed by a bishop, such as the ordination of a priest, the consecration of a church and altar, or confirmation. The first pontificals were edited back in the 8th century. They are a compilation and development of the Roman Orders (Ordines Romani usually containing ceremonial rules) and the ancient Sacramentaries (which contained the texts of prayers for the various days and solemnities of the liturgical year).

The first printed edition of the Pontificale Romanum was compiled in 1485 by the Masters of Papal Ceremonies, John Burchard and Augustine Piccolomini. This edition was the cornerstone of the editio typica edited by order of the Council of Trent and published in 1595(/1596). This pontifical was revised and supplemented several times (pontificates of Clement VIII, Urban VIII, Benedict XIV, Leo XIII and John XXIII).

We present critical studies of the Roman Pontificals preceding the first typical edition made by the great liturgists and historians of the 20th century, Michel Andrieu, Marc Dykmans, Cyrille Vogel and Reinhard Elze. All of these studies have been published as part of the prestigious Vatican academic series „Studi e testi”. They are invaluable sources of knowledge about the history and development of the Roman liturgy.