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A BULL OF POPE ST. PIUS V

Pius Bishop
Servant of the Servants of God
For a Perpetual Memorial of the Matter

Upon Our elevation to the Apostolic throne, We gladly turned Our mind and energies, and directed
all Our thoughts, to the matter of preserving incorrupt the public worship of the Church; and We
have striven, with God's help, by every means in Our power to achieve that purpose.

Whereas amongst other decrees of the holy Council of Trent, We were charged with revision and re-
issue of the sacred books, to wit, the Catechism, the Missal and the Breviary; and whereas We have
with God's consent published a Catechism for the instruction of the faithful and thoroughly revised
the Breviary for the due performance of the Divine Office, We next, in order that the Missal and
Breviary might be in perfect harmony, as is right and proper (considering that it is altogether fitting
that there should be in the Church only one appropriate manner of Psalmody and one sole rite of
celebrating Mass), deemed it necessary to give Our immediate attention to what still remained to be
done, namely the re-editing of the Missal with the least possible delay.

We resolved accordingly to delegate this task to a select committee of scholars; and they, having at
every stage of their work and with the utmost care collated the ancient codices in Our Vatican
Library and reliable (original or amended) codices from elsewhere, and having also consulted the
writing of ancient and approved authors who have bequeathed to us records relating to the said
sacred rites, thus restored the Missal itself to the pristine form and rite of the holy Fathers. When
this production had been subjected to close scrutiny and further amended We, after mature
consideration, ordered that the final result be forthwith printed and published in Rome, so that all
may enjoy the fruit of this labor; that priests may know what prayers to use, and what rites and
ceremonies they are to observe henceforward in the celebration of Masses.

Now therefore, in order that all everywhere may adopt and observe what has been delivered to them
by the Holy Roman Church, Mother and Mistress of the other churches, it shall be unlawful
henceforth and forever throughout the Christian world to sing or to read Masses according to any
formula other than that of this Missal published by Us; this ordinance to apply to all churches and
chapels, with or without care of souls, patriarchal, collegiate, and parochial, be they secular or
belonging to any religious Order, whether of men (including the military Orders) or of women, in
which conventual Masses are or ought to be sung aloud in choir or read privately according to the
rites and customs of the Roman Church; to apply, moreover, even if the said churches have been in
any way exempted, whether by indult of the Apostolic See, by custom, by privilege, or even by oath
or Apostolic confirmation, or have their rights and faculties guaranteed to them in any other way
whatsoever, saving only those in which the practice of saying Mass differently was granted over 200
years ago simultaneously with the Apostolic See's institution and confirmation of the church, and
those in which there has prevailed a similar custom followed continuously for a period of not less
than 200 years; in which cases We in no wise rescind their prerogatives or customs aforesaid.
Nevertheless, if this Missal which We have seen fit to publish be more agreeable to these last, We
hereby permit them to celebrate Mass according to its rite, subject to the consent of their bishop or
prelate, and of their whole Chapter, all else to the contrary notwithstanding. All other churches
aforesaid are hereby denied the use of other missals, which are to be wholly and entirely rejected;
and by this present Constitution, which shall have the force of law in perpetuity, We order and
enjoin under pain of Our displeasure that nothing be added to Our newly published Missal, nothing
omitted therefrom, and nothing whatsoever altered therein.
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We specifically command each and every patriarch, administrator and all other persons of
whatsoever ecclesiastical dignity, be they even Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church or possessed of
any other rank or preeminence, and We order them by virtue of holy obedience to sing or to read the
Mass according to the rite and manner and norm herein laid down by Us, and henceforward to
discontinue and utterly discard all other rubrics and rites of other missals, howsoever ancient, which
they have been accustomed to follow, and not to presume in celebrating Mass to introduce any
ceremonies or recite any prayers other than those contained in this Missal.

Furthermore, by these presents and by virtue of Our Apostolic authority We give and grant in
perpetuity that for the singing or reading of Mass in any church whatsoever, this Missal may be
followed absolutely, without any scruple of conscience or fear of incurring any penalty, judgment or
censure, and may be freely and lawfully used. Nor shall bishops, administrators, canons, chaplains,
and other secular priests, or religious of whatsoever Order or by whatsoever title designated, be
obliged to celebrate Mass otherwise than enjoined by Us. We likewise order and declare that no one
whosoever shall be forced or coerced into altering this Missal and that this present Constitution can
never be revoked or modified, but shall for ever remain valid and have the force of law,
notwithstanding previous constitutions or edicts of provincial or synodal councils, and
notwithstanding the usage of the churches aforesaid, established by very long and even immemorial
prescription, saving only usage of more than 200 years.

Consequently it is Our will, and by the same authority We decree, that one month after publication
of this Our constitution and Missal, priests of the Roman Curia shall be obliged to sing or to read
the Mass in accordance therewith; others south of the Alps, after three months; those who live
beyond the Alps, after six months or as soon as the Missal becomes available for purchase.

Furthermore, in order that the said Missal may be preserved incorrupt and kept free from defects
and errors, the penalty for non-observance in the case of all printers resident in territory directly or
indirectly subject to Ourselves and the Holy Roman Church shall be forfeiture of their books and a
fine of 100 gold ducats payable by that very fact to the Apostolic Treasury. In the case of those
resident in other parts of the world, it shall be automatical excommunication and other penalties at
Our discretion; and by Our Apostolic authority and the tenor of these presents, We also decree that
they must not dare or presume either to print or to publish or to sell, or in any way to take delivery
of such books without Our approval and consent, or without express permission of the Apostolic
Commissary in the said parts appointed by Us for that purpose. Each of the said printers must
receive from the aforementioned Commissary a standard Missal to serve as an exemplar and agree
faithfully therewith, varying in no wise from the first impression printed in Rome.

But, since it would be difficult for this present Constitution to be transmitted to all parts of the
world and to come to the notice of all concerned simultaneously, We direct that it be, as usual,
posted and published at the doors of the Basilica of the Prince of Apostles, at those of the Apostolic
Chancery, and at the end of the Campo dei Fiori; moreover, We direct that printed copies of the
same, signed by a notary public and authenticated with the seal of an ecclesiastical dignitary, shall
possess the same unqualified and indubitable validity everywhere and in every country that would
attend the display there of Our present text. Accordingly, no one whosoever is permitted to infringe
or rashly contravene this notice of Our permission, statute, ordinance, command, direction, grant,
indult, declaration, will, decree and prohibition. Should any person venture to do so, let him
understand that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.

Given at St. Peter's, Rome, in the year of Our Lord's Incarnation one thousand five hundred and
seventy, on the fourteenth day of July in the fifth year of Our Pontificate.
Caesar Glorierus .