As most of you know, I have been a priest for sixteen years. Ten years ago, I switched from the 1969 calendar and the Novus Ordo Missae (NOM) to the 1962 calendar and the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) as well as the other six sacraments of the ancient Roman Rite. Then, about seven years ago, I heard a traditional religious brother talking about the pre-1955 calendar. I rolled my eyes thinking, “Nothing is good enough for these traditionalists!” Why in the world would one rad-trad with a 1954 Missal care about another rad-trad using a 1962 Missal if both had access to the old sacraments?Tabling all debates on conditional ordinations, I was shocked to learn that a handful of non-sedevacantist priests are using the pre-55 calendar, so I decided I would look into it. I already wrote about switching to a pre-55 Missal and Roman Breviary. In fact, now I can write that most of my liturgical books (including a Parish Ritual with blessings, baptisms, and extreme unction) were published in the 1930s. Now I want to write about the lifestyle change in going from a 1962 calendar to a pre-55 calendar.Of course, at this point, some Catholics reading my article would retort: “Hey, if you rad-trads are just having an arrogant contest to see who can get the oldest sacramental books, why not find books from the First Millennium of Catholicism?” Well, the answer is that I believe Pope St. Pius X made important and good changes to the Roman Breviary. Priests in the 19th century often prayed Psalm 118 every day because of how many feasts were on the calendar. This meant priests two hundred years ago rarely prayed all 150 Psalms in Latin a week. Yet we traditional priests usually do pray all 150 Psalms a week in the pre-55 Roman Breviary and the 1960 Roman Breviary. Yes, priests in the 19th century prayed much more of the Breviary every day than priests today, but it was on repeat. Pius X mixed it up, thankfully, in both 1911 and 1913.

Originally published in Padre Peregrino. Read original article