The Ordines Romani (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for Roman Orders, singular ''Ordo Romanus'') are collections of documents that are the

rubric A rubric is a word or section of text that is traditionally written or printed in red ink for emphasis. The word derives from the la, rubrica, meaning red ochre or red chalk, and originates in Medieval illuminated manuscripts from the 13th cen ...

s for various liturgical services, including the early Medieval Mass, of the Roman Rite. There are about 50 recognized Ordines Romani. They span many centuries throughout the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. The rubrics for the

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

are found in Ordo I, VII, IX-X, XV-XVII. Those for

Baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

are found in Ordo XI, XXII-XXIV and XXV. Those for

Ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform v ...

are found in Ordo XXXIV-XXXV, and XXXIX. Those for Funerals are found in Ordo XLIV. Finally, those provisions that deal with the Dedications of Churches are found in Ordo XLI-XLIII. The oldest is Ordo XI which is from around AD 650 and concerns

. The current critical edition of the Ordines Romani is ''Les ordines romani du haut moyen age'' (1961) edited by Michel Andrieu.

External links

*{{CathEncy, wstitle=Ordines Romani * F. Atchley, ''Ordo Romanus Primus'', (London: De la More Press, 1905) Catholic liturgy