National and diocesan calendars, including that of theDiocese of Rome itself as well as the calendars ofreligious institutes and even of continents, add other saints and mysteries or transfer the celebration of a particular saint or mystery from the date assigned in the General Calendar to another date.
These liturgical calendars indicate the degree or rank of each celebration:memorial (which can be merely optional), feast, orsolemnity. Among other differences, theGloria is said or sung at theMass of a feast but not at that of a memorial. TheCreed is added on solemnities.
The last general revision of the General Roman Calendar was in 1969 and was authorized by themotu proprioMysterii Paschalis ofPaul VI. The motu proprio and the decree of promulgation were included in the bookCalendarium Romanum, published in the same year byLibreria Editrice Vaticana.[1] This contained the official documentUniversal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, and the list of celebrations of the General Roman Calendar. Both these documents are printed, in their present revised form, in theRoman Missal, after theGeneral Instruction of the Roman Missal.[2][3]
Whilecanonization involves the addition of the saint's name to the Roman Martyrology, it does not necessarily involve the insertion of the saint's name into the General Roman Calendar, which mentions only a very limited selection of canonized saints. There is a common misconception that certain saints, (e.g.,Christopher) were "unsainted" in 1969 or that veneration of them was "suppressed". Christopher is recognized as a saint of the Catholic Church, being listed as a martyr in theRoman Martyrology under 25 July.[4]
In 1969, when Paul VI issuedMysterii Paschalis, he acknowledged that, while the writtenActs of Saint Christopher are merely legendary, attestations to the veneration of the martyr date from ancient times. His change in the calendar of saints included "leaving the memorial of Saint Christopher to local calendars", because of the relatively late date of its insertion into the Roman calendar.[5]
In theliturgical books, the documentGeneral Roman Calendar, which lists not only fixed celebrations but also some moveable ones, is printed immediately after the documentUniversal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar,[2][3] which states that "throughout the course of the year the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ and observes the birthdays of the Saints". The birth of a saint to heaven is as a rule celebrated on a fixed day of the year. Sometimes they may be moved either to or from a Sunday. The mysteries of Christ are often celebrated on dates that always vary from year to year.[6][7][8][9]
The Catholic Church's year combines two cycles of liturgical celebrations. One has been called the Proper of Time orTemporale, associated with the moveable date of Easter and the fixed date of Christmas. The other is associated with fixed calendar dates and has been called the Proper of Saints orSanctorale.[6][7][8][9] The General Roman Calendar includes celebrations that belong to the Proper of Time or Temporale and is not limited to those that make up the Proper of Saints or Sanctorale. An instance where two observances occur on the same date is called an occurrence.[10]
Some celebrations listed in the General Roman Calendar are transferred to another date:
For the pastoral advantage of the people, it is permissible to observe on the Sundays in Ordinary Time those celebrations that fall during the week and have special appeal to the devotion of the faithful, provided the celebrations take precedence over these Sundays in the Table of Liturgical Days.[11]
This list contains all celebrations currently inscribed in the General Roman Calendar. It is updated whenever the pope makes changes to the celebrations in the General Roman Calendar.
When no citation is provided for a particular celebration, it comes fromCalendarium Romanum Generale (General Roman Calendar) as printed in the Latin original of Roman Missal, ed. typ. tertia (reimpressio emendata), released in 2008.[12] Celebrations that are added or changed are cited from official decrees.
Celebration names are used from EnglishRoman Missal (2018).
^a The solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is always celebrated on 6 January in the General Roman Calendar, however, in particular calendars, it might by transferred to Sunday before, on or after 6 January.
^b When the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is transferred to Sunday, which occurs on 7 or 8 January, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the following Monday. (Ubi sollemnitas Epiphaniæ ad dominicam transfertur, quæ die 7 vel 8 ianuarii occurrit, festum Baptismatis Domini celebratur feria secunda sequenti.)[12]
^a On 25 January 2021, Pope Francis inscribed Saint John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church, in the General Roman Calendar.[13]
^b On 25 January 2019, Pope Francis inscribed Saint Paul VI, Pope, in the General Roman Calendar.[14]
^c On 11 February 2018, Pope Francis inscribed Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, in the General Roman Calendar.[15] In years when the memorial of the Mother of the Church coincides with another obligatory memorial, only the memorial of the Mother of the Church will be celebrated for that year.[16]
^d The solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ can be transferred to the following Sunday in particular calendars.
^a The titleDoctor of the Church was conferred on Saint Irenaeus by Pope Francis on 21 January 2022.[17]
^b In 2022, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus coincided with the solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. The Holy See kept the solemnity of the Sacred Heart on 24 June and brought forward the Nativity of John the Baptist to 23 June, except in locations where John the Baptist is the patron saint, where the reverse applied.[18]
^c In years when the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary coincides with another obligatory memorial, both must be considered optional for that year.[19]
The General Calendar is printed, for instance, in theRoman Missal[26] and theLiturgy of the Hours.[27] These are up to date when printed, but additional feasts may be added later. For that reason, if those celebrating the liturgy have not inserted into the books a note about the changes, they must consult the current annual publication, known as the "Ordo", for their country or religious congregation.
These annual publications, like those that, disregarding the feasts that are obligatory in the actual church where the liturgy is celebrated, list only celebrations included in the General Calendar,[28] are useful only for the current year, since they omit celebrations impeded because of falling on a Sunday or during periods such asHoly Week and theOctave of Easter.
This distinction is made in application of the decision of theSecond Vatican Council: "Lest the feasts of the saints should take precedence over the feasts which commemorate the very mysteries of salvation, many of them should be left to be celebrated by aparticular Church or nation or family of religious; only those should be extended to the universal Church which commemorate saints who are truly of universal importance."[29]
The calendar for a diocese is typically based on a national calendar, with a few additions. For instance, the anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral is celebrated as a solemnity in the cathedral church and as a feast in all the other churches of the diocese. The feast day of the principalpatron saint of the diocese is celebrated as a feast throughout the diocese.[30]
^"Memoria S. Christophori, anno circiter 1550 in Calendario romano ascripta, Calendariis particularibus relinquitur: quamvis Acta S. Christophori fabulosa sint, antiqua inveniuntur monumenta eius venerationis; attamen cultus huius Sancti non pertinet ad traditionem romanam" –Calendarium Romanum (Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis 1969), p. 131.
^ab"Calendarium Romanum Generale".Missale Romanum [Roman Missal] (in Latin) (Editio typica tertia, reimpressio emendata ed.). Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2008. pp. 105–116.ISBN978-88-2098-120-4.
^Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia 2002, Libreria Editrice Vaticana
^Liturgia Horarum iuxta ritum Romanum, editio typica altera 2000, Libreria Editrice Vaticana
^An example isOrdo Missae Celebrandae et Divini Officii persolvendi secundum calendarium Romanum generale pro anno liturgico 2006 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana).
