In this second commemorative post on the first centennial of Divino Afflatu, of Pope Saint Pius X, on the reform of liturgical rubrics and the alteration of the order of the Psalter in the Roman Breviary, we take a closer look at the latter.
The changes in the order of the psalter were, by far, the most noticeable consequence of Divino Afflatu. For the first time in centuries, the order of psalms of most hours was changed - and the holy Pope explained why:
Even at present the psalter should be recited in its entirety within the week were it not that owing to the changed condition of things such recitation is frequently hindered. ... More than once serious complaints have been made by prudent and pious men about this omission, on the ground that owing to it those in sacred orders have been deprived of so many admirable aids for praising the Lord and expressing the inmost feelings of the soul, and that it has left them without that desirable variety in praying so highly necessary for our weakness in supplicating worthily, attentively, and devoutly....
No wonder, then, that a great many bishops in various parts of the world have sent expressions of their opinions on this matter to the Apostolic See, and especially in the Vatican Council when they asked, among other things, that the ancient custom of reciting the whole psalter within the week might be restored as far as possible, but in such a way that the burden should not be made any heavier for the clergy, whose labors in the vineyard of the sacred ministry are now increased owing to the diminution in the number of laborers. ...
In fulfillment of the charge entrusted to them they elaborated a new arrangement of the psalter, and this having been approved by the cardinals of H.R.C. belonging to the Congregation of Sacred Rites, we have ratified it as being in entire harmony with our own mind, in all things, that is, as regards the order and partition of the psalms, the antiphons, versicles, hymns with their rubrics and rules, and we have ordered an authentic edition of it to be set up in our Vatican printing press and then published.
Based on the good work done by a well-known website, Rorate composed the following table, comparing the two orders of the psalter of the Breviarium Romanum.
Some changes are immediately noticeable. The limitation of the traditional psalms for Compline only to Sunday (and the feasts in which Sunday Compline is recited) and the recitation of Psalm 118 in the minor hours also only on Sunday opened up wide spaces for the better allocation of the great numbers of psalms which were before piled up in Matins.
The rubrical changes, which limited considerably the supersession of the psalms of each day by the festive psalms of feasts, octaves, and vigils, allowed, for the first time in centuries, for a regular recitation of the entire psalter each week by those bound to the recitation of the Divine Office.
Some changes are immediately noticeable. The limitation of the traditional psalms for Compline only to Sunday (and the feasts in which Sunday Compline is recited) and the recitation of Psalm 118 in the minor hours also only on Sunday opened up wide spaces for the better allocation of the great numbers of psalms which were before piled up in Matins.
The rubrical changes, which limited considerably the supersession of the psalms of each day by the festive psalms of feasts, octaves, and vigils, allowed, for the first time in centuries, for a regular recitation of the entire psalter each week by those bound to the recitation of the Divine Office.
In the table below, then, the psalter of an ordinary week (and first order for Lauds - remembering, though, that, in the centuries immediately preceding Divino Afflatu, the recitation of the psalms proper to each day of the week could be quite rare):
1568 S. Pii V | 1911 S. Pii X | |
Dominica | ||
Matutinum | 94 I: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 II: 15, 16, 17 III: 18, 19, 20 | 94 I: 1, 2, 3 II: 8, 9a, 9b III: 9c, 9d, 10 |
Laudes | 92, 99, 62+66, Dan, 148+149+150 | 92, 99, 62, Daniel, 148 |
Prima | 53, 117, 118a, 118b | 117, 118a, 118b |
Tertia | 118c, 118d, 118e | 118c, 118d, 118e |
Sexta | 118f, 118g, 118h | 118e, 118g, 118h |
Nona | 118i, 118j, 118k | 118i, 118j, 118k |
Vesperae | 109, 110, 111, 112, 113 | 109, 110, 111, 112, 113 |
Completorium | 4, 30 (1-6), 90, 133 | 4, 90, 133 |
Feria secunda | ||
Matutinum | 94 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 | 94 I: 13, 14, 16 II: 17a, 17b, 17c III: 19, 20, 29 |
Laudes | 50, 5, 62+66, Is, 148+149+150 | 46, 5, 28, David, 116 |
Prima | 53, 23, 118a, 118b | 23, 18a, 18b |
Tertia | 118c, 118d, 118e | 26a. 26b, 27 |
Sexta | 118f, 118g, 118h | 30a, 30b, 30c |
Nona | 118i, 118j, 118k | 31, 32, 32b |
Vesperae | 114, 115, 116, 119, 120 | 114, 115, 119, 120, 121 |
Completorium | 4, 30 (1-6), 90, 133 | 6, 7a, 7b |
Feria tertia | ||
Matutinum | 94 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51 | 94 I: 34a, 34b, 34c II: 36a, 36b, 36c III: 37a, 37b, 38 |
Laudes | 50, 42, 62+66, Ezech, 148+149+150 | 95, 42, 66, Tobit, 134 |
Prima | 53, 24, 118a, 118b | 24a, 24b, 24c |
Tertia | 118c, 118d, 118e | 39a, 39b, 39c |
Sexta | 118f, 118g, 118h | 40, 41a, 41b |
Nona | 118i, 118j, 118k | 43a, 43b, 43c |
Vesperae | 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 | 122, 123, 124, 125, 126 |
Completorium | 4, 30 (1-6), 90, 133 | 11, 12, 15 |
Feria quarta | ||
Matutinum | 94 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 65, 67 | 94 I: 44a, 44b,. 45 II: 47, 48a, 48b III: 49a, 49b, 50 |
Laudes | 50, 64, 62+66, Anna, 148+149+150 | 96, 64, 100, Judith, 145 |
Prima | 53, 25, 118a, 118b | 25, 51, 52 |
Tertia | 118c, 118d, 118e | 53, 54a, 54b |
Sexta | 118f, 118g, 118h | 55, 56, 57 |
Nona | 118i, 118j, 118k | 58a, 58b, 59 |
Vesperae | 126, 127, 128, 129, 130 | 127, 128, 129, 130, 131 |
Completorium | 4, 30 (1-6), 90, 133 | 33a, 33b, 60 |
Feria quinta | ||
Matutinum | 94 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 | 94 I: 61, 65a, 65b II: 67a, 67b, 67c III: 68a, 68b, 68c |
Laudes | 50, 89, 62+66, Moses, 148+149+150 | 97, 89, 35, Jeremias, 146 |
Prima | 53, 22, 118a, 118b | 22, 71a, 71b |
Tertia | 118c, 118d, 118e | 72a, 72b, 72c |
Sexta | 118f, 118g, 118h | 73a, 73b, 73c |
Nona | 118i, 118j, 118k | 74, 75a, 75b |
Vesperae | 131, 133, 134, 135, 136 | 132, 135a, 135b, 136, 137 |
Completorium | 4, 30 (1-6), 90, 133 | 68, 70a, 70b |
Feria sexta | ||
Matutinum | 94 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 93, 95, 96 | 94 I: 77a, 77b, 77c II: 77d, 77e, 77f III: 78, 80, 82 |
Laudes | 50, 142, 62+66, Habac, 148+149+150 | 98, 142, 84, Is (45), 147 |
Prima | 53, 21, 118a, 118b | 21a, 21b, 21c |
Tertia | 118c, 118d, 118e | 79a, 79b, 81 |
Sexta | 118f, 118g, 118h | 83a, 83b, 86 |
Nona | 118i, 118j, 118k | 88a, 88b, 88c |
Vesperae | 137, 138, 139, 140, 141 | 138a, 138b, 139, 140, 141 |
Completorium | 4, 30 (1-6), 90, 133 | 76a, 76b, 85 |
Sabbato | ||
Matutinum | 94 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108 | 94 I: 104a, 104b, 104c II: 105a, 105b, 105c III: 106a, 106b, 106c |
Laudes | 50, 91, 62+66, Moses, 148+149+150 | 149, 91, 63,Ecclus, 150 |
Prima | 53, 118a, 118b | 93a, 93b, 107 |
Tertia | 118c, 118d, 118e | 101a, 101b, 101c |
Sexta | 118f, 118g, 118h | 103a, 103b, 103c |
Nona | 118i, 118j, 118k | 108a, 108b, 108c |
Vesperae | 143, 144, 145, 146, 147 | 143a, 143b, 144a, 144b, 144c |
Completorium | 4, 30 (1-6), 90, 133 | 87, 102a, 102b |
