Revised Liturgy of the Hours

[mattheus09]

Does anyone hear pray the Liturgy of the Hours and still attend the traditional latin mass? I think the new LOTH is not as good as the traditional divine office, howere according to a certain website I am not to pray the traditional divine office with out the bishops permission. What should I do?

 

[Uxor]

Does anyone hear pray the Liturgy of the Hours and still attend the traditional latin mass? I think the new LOTH is not as good as the traditional divine office, howere according to a certain website I am not to pray the traditional divine office with out the bishops permission. What should I do?

What website is that? I’ve never heard of this.

 

[Genesis315]

Does anyone hear pray the Liturgy of the Hours and still attend the traditional latin mass? I think the new LOTH is not as good as the traditional divine office, howere according to a certain website I am not to pray the traditional divine office with out the bishops permission. What should I do?

Are you a priest or religious? For them the current LOTH is an obligation (unless the bishop allows otherwise–I’m not sure he even has the authority to allow the current prayer of the Church to be dispensed with)

I was under the impression it could be practiced as a private devotion be lay people–there’s no obligations or prohibitions. What is the website?

 

[Genesis315]

As an aside, I have heard from various traditionalist sources that the breviary that came before the reforms done by St. Pius X is the most amazing. I’m sure, as with most opinions, it is a matter of taste, but I am curious as to what it was like. Is it online anywhere?

 

[mattheus09]

I’m a traditionalist laymen and the website I got it from was saint-mike.org/apologetics/qa/answers/divine_office/divine_office_view.html

 

[Uxor]

I’m a traditionalist laymen and the website I got it from was saint-mike.org/apologetics/qa/answers/divine_office/divine_office_view.html

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[Corki]

Are you a priest or religious? For them the current LOTH is an obligation (unless the bishop allows otherwise–I’m not sure he even has the authority to allow the current prayer of the Church to be dispensed with)

I was under the impression it could be practiced as a private devotion be lay people–there’s no obligations or prohibitions. What is the website?

I have heard this argued both ways. There are people, even non-traditionalists who say that because the LOH is the official prayer of the Church, even if you are praying it as a private devotion, you have to use the currently approved version.

There are different approved versions for different languages and parts of the world. For example, I believe the one used in the UK is different from the one used in the US. But those approvals usually start with wording to the effect “for the priests and religious of XXXX (country)”.

Where are our Canon Lawyers when you need them?

 

[Genesis315]

I have heard this argued both ways. There are people, even non-traditionalists who say that because the LOH is the official prayer of the Church, even if you are praying it as a private devotion, you have to use the currently approved version.

There are different approved versions for different languages and parts of the world. For example, I believe the one used in the UK is different from the one used in the US. But those approvals usually start with wording to the effect “for the priests and religious of XXXX (country)”.

That’s a good point too. But would that mean that if one wanted to pray the LOH, he would have to pray all the hours? Many people only pray a couple.

Where are our Canon Lawyers when you need them?

Indeed

 

[AJV]

As an aside, I have heard from various traditionalist sources that the breviary that came before the reforms done by St. Pius X is the most amazing. I’m sure, as with most opinions, it is a matter of taste, but I am curious as to what it was like. Is it online anywhere?

In 4 volumes:
archive.org/details/theromanbreviary01unknuoft
archive.org/details/theromanbreviary02unknuoft
archive.org/details/theromanbreviary03unknuoft
archive.org/details/theromanbreviary02unknuoft

The main differences from the post-Pian breviary are the psalter, the lessons around Christmas and the comites Christi and a little of the repsonsories around Eastertide.

To tell you the truth, while before I used to not, now I do have a little sympathy for the revision of both St. Pius X and the better points of the NO. The breviary of Rome was a monastic one and not highly suited for the active clergy.

But if you do a search you will find some excellent points raised regarding the pre-and post 1970 by AlexV.

 

[ncjohn]

Where are our Canon Lawyers when you need them?

Be careful what you wish for!!

 

[threebells17]

Great inquiry!

I agree the LOTH language is very modern. I think Baronius Press is coming out with a Breviary soon. Also try breviary.net. I also am very curious if anyone here prays the Anglican Breviary? Also is there an English translation yet of the old Roman Breviary- like you will find on breviary.net.

The new language, bottom line, is a bummer- and if anyone here knows an approved Breviary with reverent language let us know.

I wonder what do the Anglican Use Parish Priests pray- that might be the best?

 

[ribbit]

I used Christian Prayer. Nothing ‘wrong’ with it, but the language was…bland…at best.

www.breviary.net has the old Roman DO online.

Angelus Press sells a volume with all hours for Sunday, and Prime, Sext, and Compline for the rest of the week. ~$40 (Also on Amazon for free shipping).

Baronius Press is coming out with the full 3 vol set. It has been delayed several times, but should be out sometime this year at least.

anglicanbreviary.net
The Anglican Breviary is basically the Roman Breviary. From what I understand, the folks at breviary.net used much of the same translation for thier on-line version. ~$66

If I were you, I’d go with the Anglican Breviary (or the shorter Angelus Press if you only want those hours) and maybe upgrade (start saving now, those babies will be pricey) for the Baronius set when it comes out.

I personally use the Monastic Diurnal
www.theabbeyshop.com for info and www.catholiconeshop.com to purchase. ~$65 This is, as the title suggests, the Hours, except Matins, according to traditional Benedictine practice.

 

[AJV]

Great inquiry!

I agree the LOTH language is very modern. I think Baronius Press is coming out with a Breviary soon. Also try breviary.net. I also am very curious if anyone here prays the Anglican Breviary? Also is there an English translation yet of the old Roman Breviary- like you will find on breviary.net.

The new language, bottom line, is a bummer- and if anyone here knows an approved Breviary with reverent language let us know.

I wonder what do the Anglican Use Parish Priests pray- that might be the best?

I think it is this- and if so, I also think that you may be a bit disappointed since it is very much in the tradition of the Anglican BCP-no antiphons or responsories, etc. This is something very appealing in the relative simplicity- but also I miss the familiar Office elements (like the antiphons) that give a lot of “character”

 

[CathMass]

I use the new LOTH most of the time. However, recently I have been using the 1962 Vespers and Compline from the Angelus Press Missal on Sundays and Feasts. I pray it only in Latin since it is the traditional office and also because I pray it as a liturgical prayer and not as a devotion. I was told this was okay since the FSSP and various other traditional orders use the traditional breviary.

 

[drafdog]

Use any version the Liturgy you find helpful. Prayer is prayer. The purpose of the Liturgy of the Hours is to deepen the prayer life and spirituality of the person praying. As for “approved”, there are many “approved” Liturgies. I visited a Trappist monastary for a weekend and sang the Office with them. (I asked the Brother Hospitaler to summon me at the hours of prayer. All but the 3AM office.) They don’t use the Liturgy of the Hours, they use instead the Little Office of Mary. The psalms for each hour were far different from what I found in my own copy of the Office.
I was amused when one of the brothers asked me after chapel if I had ever been a member of a religious order. He had never heard a visitor sing the Office with them as I had done.

Matthew

 

[batteddy]

Are you a priest or religious? For them the current LOTH is an obligation (unless the bishop allows otherwise–I’m not sure he even has the authority to allow the current prayer of the Church to be dispensed with)

I was under the impression it could be practiced as a private devotion be lay people–there’s no obligations or prohibitions.

Lay people can definitely pray any Divine Office they want for private devotion. If not, that would be anti-traditionalist authoritarianism to the extreme, and thankfully it is not the case.

It is no longer the normative prayer for most of the latin rite, but that certainly doesn’t mean it is suddenly banned for private use. If you are allowed to compose your own prayers for private use, you certainly may use old liturgical prayers. Why would the the Church allow anything BUT prayers she previously approved?

It would probably only be private devotion, but it could even be argued that one praying the old Divine Office is participating in public prayer with the priests of those societies that use the old Breviary. I mean…you certainly are if you visit them in choir, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t count if you did it at home and united your intentions with theirs.

 

[threebells17]

Thanks for the link- very interesting. I will probably wait for the Baronius Press LOTH but in the meantime may reference this link. One thing I like in the Morning and Evening Prayers of the Anglican Church (BCP) was the lectionary of daily reading for both morning and evening prayer. More scripture. I do love the writings of the Church Fathers etc. in the Daily Office of readings in the LOTH.

This is a great topic.