The ''General Instruction of the Roman Missal'' (GIRM)—in the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
original, (IGMR)—is the detailed document governing the celebration of
Mass
Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
of the
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite () is the most common ritual family for performing the ecclesiastical services of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The Roman Rite governs Rite (Christianity) ...
in what
since 1969 is its normal form. Originally published in 1969 as a separate document, it is printed at the start of editions of the
Roman Missal
The Roman Missal () is the book which contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Roman Rite, the most common liturgy and Mass of the Catholic Church. There have been several editions.
History
Before the Council of Trent (1570)
...
since 1970.
__NOTOC__
Background
The 1960 ''
Code of Rubrics'' replaced the ''Rubricae Generales Missalis'', which had been in the
Tridentine Roman Missal since its first edition in 1570 and had been amplified and revised by
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605.
Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...
in 1604. This had been supplemented, since the 1920 edition, by the ''Additiones et Variationes in Rubricis Missalis ad normam Bullae "Divino afflatu" et subsequentium S.R.C. decretorum'' (Additions and Variations to the Rubrics of the Missal in accordance with the Bull ''Divino afflatu'' and subsequent decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites), which indicated the changes in the Roman Missal that followed from the
reform of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius X
The reform of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius X was promulgated by that Pope with the apostolic constitution '' Divino afflatu'' of 1 November 1911.
The Roman Breviary is the title of the book obligatorily used for celebrating the Roman Rite ...
.
In
his 1962 edition,
Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...
had made some changes to the document at the beginning of the Roman Missal called ''Ritus servandus in celebratione Missarum'' ('Rite to be observed in celebration of Masses').
Status
In his apostolic exhortation ''Sacramentum caritatis'',
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
stressed the importance of proper knowledge of the ''General Instruction'' not only for priests but also for the laity:
Regulations for masses not using the GIRM
In the circumstances indicated in the
motu proprio
In law, (Latin for 'on his own impulse') describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party. Some jurisdictions use the term for the same concept.
In Catholic canon law, it refers to a document issued by the pope on h ...
''
Traditionis Custodes'' of 2021, the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
still permits celebrations of Mass in accordance with the
1962 edition of the Roman Missal. Such celebrations are governed not by the ''General Instruction'' but by the 1960
Code of Rubrics, particularly its section ''Rubricae generales Missalis Romani'' (General Rubrics of the Roman Missal), and by the ''Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae'' (Rite to be observed in celebration of Mass).
Structure
The ''General Instruction'' is arranged in nine chapters, preceded by a preamble. The chapter headings are:
# The Importance and Dignity of the Eucharistic Celebration
# The Structure of the Mass, Its Elements and Its Parts
# The Duties and Ministries in the Mass
# The Different Forms of Celebrating Mass
# The Arrangement and Furnishing of Churches for the Celebration of the Eucharist
# The Requisites for the Celebration of Mass
# The Choice of the Mass and Its Parts
# Masses and Prayers for Various Circumstances and Masses for the Dead
# Adaptations within the Competence of Bishops and Bishops' Conferences
Versions
The
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
original may be consulted at a number of sites. The most easily legible on a computer screen is perhaps that of the
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (), is a religious congregation of men in the Catholic Church, founded in 1859 by the Italian priest John Bosco to help poor and migrant youth during the ...
(German Salesians).
An English translation, but with adaptations for the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, can be consulted at the appropriate web page of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Divine Worship. The same translation, but with adaptations instead for
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, may be found at the web site of the England & Wales Liturgy Office.
See also
*
Roman Missal
The Roman Missal () is the book which contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Roman Rite, the most common liturgy and Mass of the Catholic Church. There have been several editions.
History
Before the Council of Trent (1570)
...
*
Mass of Paul VI
The Mass of Paul VI, also known as the Ordinary Form or , is the most commonly used Catholic liturgy, liturgy in the Catholic Church. It was Promulgation (Catholic canon law), promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 and its liturgical books were p ...
References
Further reading
''A commentary on the general instruction of the Roman Missal: developed under the auspices of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy and cosponsored by the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions'' Liturgical Press, 2007
External links
on the
Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Geography
* Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy
* Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City
* Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome
* Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
website
GIRM for the United Stateson the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic C ...
website
GIRM for England and Waleson the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Overview
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is the permanent assembly of Catholic Bishop ...
website
GIRM in Latinon the
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (), is a religious congregation of men in the Catholic Church, founded in 1859 by the Italian priest John Bosco to help poor and migrant youth during the ...
website
{{Sacraments, rites, and liturgies of the Catholic Church
Documents of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
1969 documents
1969 in Christianity
Catholic liturgical law