I think it is of upmost importance to participate at Holy Mass also using a sound “hand missal”. A good hand missal, whether of the TLM of the Novus Ordo, can enrich your interior receptivity.
A while back I reviewed the hand missal published by Baronius Press.
Now let’s look at the hnd missal published by Angelus Press, the publishing arm of the SSPX. For the purposes of this review, the fact that it comes from the SSPX’s printing concern matters not a whit to me. I am grateful that they sent me a copy for my review.
Buy this missal HERE.
First, let’s have a look general look at the cover and binding.
There are five ribbons and the pages are gilded. the gilding isn’t like it was in the old days, but that’s no surprise. It is still pretty good. The binding of the new volume was still pretty tight, but it seems durable from what I can tell. That is very important in such a book.
I still have to hold it open with my fingers for the shot, but it will loosen up.
You can see that the pages well laid out. There is both English and Latin side by side. The black ink is dark and well contrasted with the paper which is slightly yellowish.
Here is the basic information for the translation and the commentaries. You can see that the paper is very thin, to keep the book a reasonable size, but the paper seems sturdy.
NB: They are in their 3rd printing for November 2007.
There are good sections for devotions and private prayers.
There are propers for the USA and Canada.
In the back there is a Kyriale. I hope that means that the SSPX wants people in the pews to sing along… (which I doubt). Seriously, this could help in the formation of a small schola: you would not have to buy too many more books to get it started.
I liked this feature in the back: pages for you to write in special events like baptisms, marriages, ordinations, deaths, and your own special intentions. If someone were to use this at St. Agnes Church in St. Paul, however, that ordinations page would have to have an extension added.
Here is the first pages of the Ordinary. you can see that they use red ink for the rubrics and comments.
Let’s now compare the Angelus Press version with the Baronius Press version.
The Baronius Press version is a little smaller, but they are roughly the same thickness and feel in the hand.
The Baronius binding is somewhat subtler.
Let us see them open and next to each other. The Angelus Press edition is on the top, Baronius below.
Click the image below for a bigger view.
Note that the Baronius edition has somwhat whiter paper.
I don’t know if that would help in a darker church or, in a brigher space it might annoy.
The gilt on the pages of the Baronius is marginally better accomplished. The Baronius edition has 6 ribbons and the Angelus version 5.
In sum, the Angelus Press book is very good. I like the commentaries and the extra sections for devotions.
I did not do a side by side comparison of the translation, so at this point I have nothing to say about that.
This book is very useful and should prove to resist years of being hauled around in bags or in the hand.
I am sure that some of you readers will have your own experienecs and preferences, which you can post below.
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I have the Baronius missal, pre-MP edition. I haven’t had a chance to get the Angelus one, but your review does a lot to point out the differences between the two, thank you! The Baronius one is hardcover, which I like. The Angelus one looks like it is a soft cover, is that correct?
Jacob: The editions that I have are not hard cover. They are flexible, leather bound.
Fr. Z wrote: “In the back there is a Kyriale. I hope that means that the SSPX wants people in the pews to sing along… (which I doubt).”
Doubt no longer: singing is encouraged at SSPX chapels, at least the ones that I am familiar with. I think if it is unsuccessful it might be in part due to the fact that, as an American SSPX priest told me once, American men don’t like to sing.
Pax.
Jacob: I’m the same; not a hardcover but this kind of flexible leather stuff.
I like the Kyriale in the Baronius Missal. It comes in very handy for singing along.
Over the years I’ve used a number of both old and new missals, including the Angelus and Baronius 1962 missals. The Angelus missal has come to be my favorite among them all, and I now use it exclusively. I like the thin paper and the thinner volume (as compared with the first-edition Baronius that I’ve used). It is especially well balanced in the hand, and after use stays open readily. This may vary from printing to printing, but the paper in my Angelus is clearly whiter than that in my Baronius, and is easily readable in a dimly lit church (as is its typeface). The Angelus missal has held up well since its purchase in early 2005, and to me seems more durable than the Baronius acquired shortly thereafter. My only preference for the Baronius would be the prefaces all collected in a single section preceding the Ordinary, whereas in the Angelus missal this section must be paged through just before the Canon.
I love my Angelus Missal. The missal can be easily held in one hand, which for parents with young children is essential. I also like the fact that the Latin is in a font that is large enough to be read without difficulty. The small Latin text of the Baronius Missal, always turned me off. I also appreciate the paper, which had to be imported from France. White is the only available “bible” paper in the US. Finally, I am happy that the Angelus Missal was printed in the US, instead of going to India or China to have the printing done. They certainly could have gotten a better deal in either country, but I just do not think it is appropriate for a Catholic liturgical book to be produced by “sweat shop” labor. The Angelus has done a great service to the Traditional Latin Mass movement with this publication.
I began going to TLM in December and bought the Baronius. I liked it because there is a lot of information and prayers that a returning/evolving Catholic like myself find very useful. The only drawback for me, is that sometimes the ordo missae is difficult for me to follow. Otherwise, I am very happy with this book and it has helped me deepen my faith.
Does anyone know when, if ever, 1962 Missals will being to include the new Good Friday prayer for the Jews?
My wife bought me an Angelus Press missal for our anniversary, God bless her!
I love it, but …
I tend to like books that are not as thick. I wish they left out some of the extras, such as Tenebrae, and published them in a separate volume. Just as I wish the “Blessed Be God” reprint was a little thinner. (The subject, perhaps, for another review. The binding on that is inferior but the price excellent.)
I think the Angelus edition paper is a little too thin and the cover is fake leather. I especially notice the difference when I compare it to my copy of the LOTH, the standard black four-volume leather set. I do not have the same confidence the cover will hold up as well as the LOTH covers.
I was given the Angelus Press missal. I like it except for one thing: I find the Latin hard to read. Too small and too squished in to the binding. Someone remarked that the Baronius was worse … I would love to have the Latin and English switched out. Or just plain Latin would be better.
I know a lady who bought the non leather version of the Angelus missal and within a year it was a wreck with covers falling off. I don’t know if she used it to practice shooting hoops but that thing was a war zone when she gave it to another person at the same Mass.
“I hope that means that the SSPX wants people in the pews to sing along… (which I doubt).”
Father, during my time studying in Paris, I stumbled upon St. Nicolas-du-Chardonnet (I did not know it was run by the SSPX when I did) and stayed for their Sunday High Mass. Apart from being the most beautiful celebration of the extraordinary form I have yet to witness, EVERYONE sang alot the proper responses and ordinary chants. This I contrast with my disappointment over a High Mass celebrated recently in the Washington DC area, where in the printed programs, the pastor-celebrant actually wrote that the 1962 Missal left all singing to the choir and responses to the servers (a subtle request to the congregation to NOT sing) – and sure enough, I got some mean stares even for my mumbled and hushed “et cum spiritu tuo”s – what a contrast! The preference for absolute silence from the congregation seems to definitely be a North American thing, though I have no idea what the preference is in England/Ireland.
I hate these “eselsbrücke” or “pons asinorum” type books with one language on one side and another language on the other side. It really irritates the life out of me. What is it for? Are you supposed to perform a cirque du soleil kind of a feat – not riding two bicycles at the same time, but read two languages simultaneously? If you’re not going to read the Latin, why bother having it printed? And if you are, what is the English page doing there? Am I the only person left on this earth who believes that Latin is truly a language, that it can be learned, and spoken, and understood? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Catholics! Roman Catholics!
I would also like to say that at every SSPX Mass I have attended there has definitely been input from the congregation in the singing – and like Emilio above, the most beautiful and reverent Masses I have ever witnessed have been SSPX – I have yet to see a “regular” traditional Mass that comes up to their standards of excellence. Maybe once they are allowed to start training priests outside of their own order we will see some of this beauty and reverence in the mainstream.
I know a lady who bought the non leather version of the Angelus missal and within a year it was a wreck with covers falling off.
I also have an original non-leather version that I’ve used daily for three years — as my prayerbook, reading all the propers daily, also recently started carrying it with me to daily Novus Ordo. It seems indestructible. I’m curious to know what she did to make the covers start falling off her copy.
I actually prefer my Baronius slightly — for liturgical use, as opposed to my daily study use of the Angelus — and therefore use it at Sunday TLM, but it somehow feels a bit less durable than the Angelus (perhaps because it subjectively seems a bit more elegant to me).
In summary, I think of my Baronius as my high Mass missal, my Angelus as my low Mass missal. (Would only that I had a daily low TLM to attend — no music, no sermon, just quiet, undistracted Sacrifice.)
Andrew: “I hate these “eselsbrücke” or “pons asinorum” type books with one language on one side and another language on the other side. It really irritates the life out of me. What is it for? Are you supposed to perform a cirque du soleil kind of a feat – not riding two bicycles at the same time, but read two languages simultaneously?”
Bro, chill out. Most Catholics don’t have the time to learn a second language later in life. Aside from another language being easier to learn in childhood, people have jobs and work five or six (or seven?) days a week. If they’re not clergy or in a religious institute, most people’s jobs are exclusively English (and even if not all English, I doubt Latin is involved much).
The English is there so that the reader can have a full, active, and conscious participation in the Holy Mass. The Latin is there to help the participant follow along; and for those blessed and smart enough to learn the language, also to allow them to participate using that. (And perhaps outside of the context of Holy Mass, to actually be a teaching tool to help the person learn Latin.) But don’t flip out at publishers who serve the needs of the hand missal laity.
Having used both the Baronius Press and Angelus Press Missals I have found that the Angelus Missal is far better.
In terms of physical quality, the Angelus Missal is much more durable. Until recently the Baronius Missal had square corners, rather then the rounded used by Angelus, so the corners of the cover wore down rather fast and it was easy for the corners of the pages to fold and become dog-eared- definately not something to be desired. I will admit that the cover of the Baronius Missal is a little more aesthetically pleasing and softer to the touch. The gilding is a BIG PROBLEM- the gilding on the Baronius Missal, while it does look a little nicer then the Angelus, comes off very easily. I also prefer the yellowish pages of the Angelus to the white of the Baronius.
As we can tell from Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s comparative photograph, the Angelus Missal is also organized better- the prayers, rubrics, titles, subtitles and commentary are all easily identifiable on the page and arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner. The Baronius seems to squash all this togather/
The Angelus also contains a great number of resources- extensive information and commentary on the Mass, an array of prayers and devotions, the Kyriale, ect. There are also guides for the Nuptial Mass, the Tenebrae service, Confession, and even doctrinal information to aid in examinations of conscience.
If any changes are to be made to the Angelus Missal, I would suggest the cover be redesigned and a softer leather used (though I do not think the current edition of the Angelus uses real leather, like some editions of the Baronius). I always found that the ribs on the spine of a book can be accentuated to make it more elegant.
I have the older Baronius edition. The thing that I do not prefer about it is the rather small print of the Latin propers…I usually follow the Latin rather than the English and have to look more carefully than I would like. The things I found most annoying about the Baronius was that it (in the earlier addition) was very thick, and the guilding did not shine evenly, also it has square page corners. However the new editions of this missal have adopted the Angelus’ rounded corners and have done a good job in making it a bit thinner (though it is still thicker than the Angelus). I ended up purchasing the Baronius for two reasons: I purchased it before the motu proprio, and as a seminarian I thought it more prudent to have one that is not SSPX and incorporates clearly new norms and Luminous Mysteries etc. (this was for reasons of self-defense, rather than preference) and the second reason was that the Baronius had a much nicer leather binding. However, since that time Angelus, on the other hand, has published a leather-bound edition. Incidentily, the older Baronius missal was sponsored by FSSP, however, most FSSP priests that I have met actually prefer the Angelus edition.
Additionally, I should add to what I wrote above, that from the copies I have seen on the shelf, it looks like the new editions of the Baronius are using a different guilding technique than they did in their older editions.
With regard to the leather: The Angelus does offer leather versions, although I do not believe that they offer them to resellers. The profit margin for the leather is quite small, because of being printed in the US. For example to add leather to a missal, it increases the production cost by about $7.00 per missal, which is significant. In order for them to use leather they would have to go to India, where it can be obtained at much less cost.
With regard to the binding, I did see an Angelus missal in rough shape, but the missal was loaded with prayer cards. The binding was not made to take that sort of abuse.
With regard to the Latin and English: Many people prefer to have both because it helps them learn the Latin language, because it allows them sing with the choir in Latin, even if they do not fully comprehend the Latin, and as someone else mentioned it allows them to follow along. I spend an hour a day 4-7 days a week learning Latin, and quite frankly, it is all the time I have for the endeavor. I agree that Latin is a living language, but as someone mentioned, for an adult with many other responsibilities, the time required to learn any living language is too great.
I own copies of both hand missals also and on the basis of ease of use I find the Angelus one to be preferable. For some reason the Baronius seems harder to handle physically than the Angelus edition. My impression is that the type in the Angelus edition is larger or at least more readable for me.
Will Baronius be issuing a new edition with the revised (or emasculated) prayer for the Jews, one wonders.
I have an Angelus Press missal. I like it (especially the devotions), though I don’t have a Baronius Press version to compare it to. From looking at the photos the Baronius Press version is slightly smaller which I guess makes it a little more pocket size, which I like, because the Angelus Press version is slightly too large to fit in my coat pocket.
When Baronius Press finally publishes the Latin/English Roman Breviary I think I might invest in the missal as well. Then I will be able to compare.
Anon: If only you had not signed as “Anon” I would not have deleted your comment.
I really don’t like that “Anon” or “Anonymous” thing.
Come up with something else, please. The blogosphere is impersonal enough.
I have a Baronius Missal, and the chapel at TAC now has 48 Angelus Press Missals for common use (a very nice donation)
Here is my experience
1. Both are very durable. I cannot mention how many times I have dropped, accidentally sat on, kicked or otherwise abused my Baronius…still looks very new. The one thing is that the gilding does wear unevenly, the Angelus press one seems better there
2. Both I think are will type setted
Advantages of the Baronius
1. While, as you pointed out, the Angelus Press has a section for American propers, in reality it is deficient there. What they have are only those additional feasts for all of America (such as Our Lady of Guadeloupe). The Baronius has the proper Masses for all dioceses. In Los Angeles that makes a big difference…there might be 17 feasts lacking in the Angelus (though some of them, if you knew ahead of time, would be taken from common Masses, but still). The Baronius even has Elizabeth Anne Seton and John Neumann
2. It has the additional, ad libitum prefaces. The Kyriale has more in it too
Advantages of the Angelus
1. It has the other sacraments, like baptism and confirmation
2. Better type for the Latin
Fr. Z wrote
“I hope that means that the SSPX wants people in the pews to sing along… (which I doubt). Seriously, this could help in the formation of a small schola: you would not have to buy too many more books to get it started.”
When I went to the SSPX the priest gave a homily encouraging them to sing. He went on that if they were able and familiar with the ordinary they should join in, and that everyone should at least sing the responses. I was the only to do so at the Creed and got stared down by the congregation. In my experience, their congregations are more extreme than their priests
Likewise, when asked why they did not include the 2nd Confiteor in their hand missal, they said it was omitted in the 1962 Missal, even though it was often done at their chapels due to demand from the faithful.
My wife and I both ordered the Baronius ‘Summorum Pontificum” edition last Fall and I really like it but for 2 annoying issues:
1. As noted by others the Latin is in a very small font, which is difficult for my middle-aged eyes to deal with. I really want a magnifying glass to read it; I have pretty bad eyes, I’m afraid.
2. The ribbons fray badly. I’m going to try to save them from further deterioration by attempting to heat-seal them (assuming it is some nylon-type fabric). I was very disappointed they didn’t do this, given the care obviously taken with the rest of the book.
If anybody has a technique for doing this, I’d appreciate a tip.
A more minor gripe is that the gold gilt does come off pretty easily. But that doesn’t really bother me much.
This is just an observation, but from reading the posts here and on the previous Baronius Missal review it looks on the surface as though those who are sympathetic to the SSPX prefer the Angelus and those who do not prefer the Baronius. The most enthusiastic posts on either missal look like hardcore supporters of either camp. But I could be wrong.
I’ve never been to an SSPX chapel but I am a member at an FSSP parish so I can tell you that I have seen relatively few Angelus missals. Most of the missals I see are still hand-me-downs but I’ve seen some Baronius and new Fr. Lasance (sp?) Missals. I also see some St. Joseph Missals from Neumann which I believe are just reprints of Catholic Book Publishing Co. I even know of a St. Joseph’s Continuous Sunday Missal floating around.
Father-
As the above said, doubt no longer. I wish our local extraordinary form parish sang like an SSPX chapel! They encourage the faithful to sing and even more so in Europe. I was a seminarian in Winona for a few years, and traveled to the SSPX chapels in Germany and Switzerland- almost no need for a choir other than the propers, which were always done by a fine, dedicated Schola. We go to SSPX chapels in the US whenever we are traveling near one, and it is the same- the people sing. During Low Masses, the people respond as well.
ALL: The comments about the SSPX promoting congregational singing are illuminating and inspiring!
I have no problem whatsoever with the way the SSPX celebrates Mass — only reading about them, the nearest SSPX chapel be too far for me ever to have been there — but they don’t deserve all the positive ink on this question.
The pastor of the last FSSP parish I attended insisted that the congregation sing along at high Mass. He even insisted that the people remain standing during the Sanctus — which no one remembered ever having done before — because he wanted people to sing the Sanctus along with the schola, and also insisted that standing was the appropriate posture for singing. Though we could kneel for the Sanctus on the rare occasions when a polyphonic Sanctus (with which the people could not sing along) was sung.
From my own personal observations, I would conclude that — whatever was the case in the pre-Vatican II era in which some aging hippie memories seem mired — the typical TLM congregation nowadays is a model of conscious and active prayerful participation that a bishop might wish some of his Novus Ordo congregations could emulate.
I have the Baronius Press edition and though I like it very much I can’t help but notice from the picture Fr. Z has up for the Kyriale in the Angelus version that the verticle episems of Solesmes are included, I’m pretty sure they are not in the Baronius. For those of us who like to mind our twos and threes…this is a comforting feature. ;-)
Ruthy: if I knew what an episem was I’d tell you, because I can’t see the difference!
MikeL – I noticed the fray of the ribbons on Baronius as well. I recommend going to a fabric store and buying a bottle of “Fray Check” by Dritz. About 3.50 a bottle. Snip off the frayed ends of the ribbons and reseal them with Fray Check. They will stay put. The rest of the FC is also pretty useful around the house.
I prefer the Angelus Press Missal that I recently purchased in comparison with my Baronius Missal that I’ve had for nearly three years.
Angelus
I like the following:
-Dimensions: 7 x 4.38 x 1.63 (Baronius: 6.5 x 4 x 2.25 – too thick)
-The Paper Quality
-The Typefaces Chosen – Headings, Body, etc.
-The Rubrics
-The Commentary in the margins
-The Sacraments Section, especially Infant Baptism
Baronius
I like the following:
-The Ribbons – 6 braided vs. 5 satin
-The Soft Leather binding vs. Vinyl Faux Leather
Improvements I would like to see in each Missal
-More Latin Prayers – especially before and after communion – surprisingly my Novus Ordo Daily Missal does a better job here.
-Latin in the larger of the two texts when side by side on the same page.
-Higher quality materials overall – aka Benziger Bros as a model for publishing.
What’s the deal with Baronius not having the Sacraments? I didn’t realize that until after I bought it, and it sure would be nice to have. Also, the ordering takes a little getting used to. Also agree about the ribbon fraying, and (to a lesser extent) the size of the Latin in the propers.
Nevertheless, I would never buy a product that supports a schismatic cult.
I was given the Angelus edition for my coming into the Church- and I love it! I prefer the comments in the margins. It flows easier, in my opinion.
Mark M I’m sorry, just a bit of chant humor. The underlying rhythm of Gregorian chant is based (according to Solesmes) on the unpredictable combination of groups of 2 and 3 notes/neums. There are rules for finding where the rhythmic ictus is and if the rule doesn’t make it obvious the monks at Solesmes include a little vertical mark below a note to let you know called a vertical episema. It is all rather esoteric and though I am no expert I have been teaching students Gregorian Chant quite a bit this semester, so it struck me as interesting (and just me I’m sure) when comparing the two editions that Angelus press includes them and Baronius does not.
I have read through this trying to get a feel for which is better, I havnt bought either yet, but there doesnt seem to be that extreme of differences. And it does appear those more sympathetic to SSPX causes make the Angelus sound better.
As far as Im concerned, I wont financially support the sspx, even if the Angelus is slightly better, our money should go towards groups like Baronius who are in full communion rather than those just paying lip service.
“reading the posts here and on the previous Baronius Missal review it looks on the surface as though those who are sympathetic to the SSPX prefer the Angelus and those who do not prefer the Baronius. The most enthusiastic posts on either missal look like hardcore supporters of either camp. But I could be wrong.”
I would disagree with that. I have the Angelus and I purchased it at St. John Cantius. I would say that at Cantius those missals that are not ‘antique’ tend to be the Angelus version.
I really love the Angelus version for the wealth of information it has about the Church. It can be a great reference book on occasion. I used it to show a friend all the details about vestments and liturgical colors. These are things that were never taught in my years of CCD (post Vatican II).
I have had the Angelus Missal for about a year and a half and it has stood up VERY well. I will admit, I do not treat it with the care I should. It gets thrown into the back seat of my car and shoved into my purse on a regular basis and it is still no worse for the wear.
Nevertheless, I would never buy a product that supports a schismatic cult.
Comment by Rellis
1. I think we should avoid SSPX debate on this thread
2. Schismatic cult is calumny. Regardless of their state of communion, they are not a cult. They teach no heresy, they are not unified enough to have a cult following around a leader.
3. If you buy books from protestant or Orthodox publishers, then you should have no problem buying from Angelus when they have something worthwhile.
I attended Mass at St. Nicolas-du-Chardonnet (the main SSPX church in Paris) in 2006 and was amazed to see many members of the congregation, liber in hand, singing both the propers and ordinary. Now that’s what I call the active participation of the faithful!
I have seen both missals and have the Angelus Press version.
I almost bought a Baronius Press MP edition, but just couldn’t bear the thought of giving up all of those sidebar commentaries in my Angelus Press Missal.
Those commentaries are priceless and if Baronius Press ever adds them, along with the little comments noting subtle cues like when the priest extends his hands and brings them together, and bows, etc., that is when i’ll buy one.
I have found my understanding of the Mass deepending as I focused on the actions – even subtle actions, and what was in those sidebar commentaries. I was able to determine precisely where he was in the Canon. I could tell he was making 3 or 5 signs of the cross by how many times his elbow moved. Each set of crosses throughout the Mass of the Faithful is explained and I believe those explanations in the sidebar are based on the thoughts of St. Thomas Aquinas on the subject. After the Lavabo, or washing of the hands, I now know that when the priest goes back to the center of the altar, he is addressing the Holy Trinity because this missal explains it.
Other commentaries found throughout the second edition that I have (Nov 2005) come from an awesome book that I eventually ordered and have called, “The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: Dogmatically, Liturgically, and Ascetically explained” by Nicholas Gihr (1908).
Yah – I couldn’t give up all these other riches in the missal, including a great deal of catechesis aside from the devotions.
I have the Angelus Press missal and it’s one of my favorite books! I have only two major issues with it. First, the ribbons fray very easily. Second, I think the first several dozen pages are rather confusing. The intro and the index and the first few sections are organized very poorly, IMO. Other than that, I find the book fairly easy to follow.
I have an Angelus. Now I need some advice from you Angelus holders:
Where do you put the ribbons?????
Thanks!
Joe
I notice that the Angelus Missal featured has the feasts for North America.
Is there a version for the UK?
I have both missals and I prefer the Angelus Press edition. It is easier to use during Mass. Also the type is easier to read. I especially enjoy the sidebar comments in the Proper of the Mass. I do not attend the TLM at a SSPX chapel but they have printed a beautiful Missal. Pax et Bonum.
Henry Edwards wrote:
“I actually prefer my Baronius slightly—for liturgical use, as opposed to my daily study use of the Angelus—and therefore use it at Sunday TLM, but it somehow feels a bit less durable than the Angelus (perhaps because it subjectively seems a bit more elegant to me).
In summary, I think of my Baronius as my high Mass missal, my Angelus as my low Mass missal. (Would only that I had a daily low TLM to attend—no music, no sermon, just quiet, undistracted Sacrifice.)
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Sentimentally, I think having both is an excellent idea.
==========
Matt wrote:
“This is just an observation, but from reading the posts here and on the previous Baronius Missal review it looks on the surface as though those who are sympathetic to the SSPX prefer the Angelus and those who do not prefer the Baronius. The most enthusiastic posts on either missal look like hardcore supporters of either camp. But I could be wrong.
I’ve never been to an SSPX chapel but I am a member at an FSSP parish so I can tell you that I have seen relatively few Angelus missals. Most of the missals I see are still hand-me-downs but I’ve seen some Baronius and new Fr. Lasance (sp?) Missals. I also see some St. Joseph Missals from Neumann which I believe are just reprints of Catholic Book Publishing Co. I even know of a St. Joseph’s Continuous Sunday Missal floating around.”
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Matt, the only thing referred to about the SSPX is the congregation singing. Nothing else mentioned has anything to do with a bias towards who published the Missal other than its intrinsic qualities.
The Baronius one sounds good and noble but from the various accounts, it has a few which makes it seem a little on the flimsy side. I like the fact the Baronius advertises their product as having Morrocan leather for the covers. I like the idea of Henry Edwards using Baronius for Sunday Mass and Angelus for dailies and devotions. For those who can afford to do so, it is a good way to have the best of both.
Regarding the FSSP Masses, I think they should get an apostolate going and begin publishing as well. The two Tridentine-Mass powerhouses are the FSSP and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest ( Whose books do they use? ). It would be nice to have a greater uniformity of liturgical books at FSSP Masses. It sounds pious, but if Mother Angelica started from Day One with nothing and began publishing, I think the Fraternity could get an easier start. Wishful thinking maybe. ;-)
In fairness to Baronius, Father Z did a write-up a few months ago stating Baronius’ new edition including the Motu Proprio is better than the previous one. He said the binding is better, the leather is better quality and the paper is thinner but seems sturdier than the previous edition. Father Z…?
The four or five SSPX chapels I have attended in the United States have ALL had active congregtional singing. And while most of them stuck to chant, although one has been incorporating polyphony, it was done very well by the schola/choir. Of course, the fact they do this regularly, and only this form of Mass, gives them an advantage.
FSSP chapels sometimes have congregational singning. The ICR chapels I have attended do not. They leave it to the choir to sing.
Each has its positive points. But just for the record, the SSPX chapels I’ve attended in the U.S. ALL have active congregational singing–done well.
Brian: That is a good summary. Thanks.
I just purchased a Baronius hand missal. Frankly, I prefer my old St. Andrew’s Daily Missal which I purchased in 1999 from Fraternity Publications. The pages were not gilt. Nor was the cover a true leather. The layout, however, was fantastic and gave adequate respect for the Latin text. Also, the commentary was immense for each day in the sanctoral cycle. Every Sunday entry had discussion of the Mass texts, the Gospel of the day, and a blurb about the day’s stational church. Each seasonal change was prefaced by a multi-page historical, theological, and liturgical commentary. It was superb. It accompanied me the Institute of Christ the King when I entered as a candidate back in 2005. This amazing and much loved hand missal was lost forever, lamentably, when I left the seminary a year and a half later, having suffered the miserable fate of lost luggage!
The Angelus handmissal can be purchased in bulk — our parish has a lady who sells them for $20 or $25 after Mass. I’ve purchased several to give to people. Heck, the red missal with just the ordinary is already $5, so why not?
But, I wouldn’t recommend this missal for more than that — the beginner version. The quality is good, but not great. It’s confusing to have both the novus ordo and traditional disciplines for fasting and abstinence when it’s supposed to be a 1962 missal. Also, the special Canon parts, the way they are currently positioned, are extremely confusing. It’s better to have them after the entire ordinary, I think, like the Fr. Lasance missal does.
All in all, it’s a good entry-level missal — for a fraction of the cost of the higher quality ones.
Today in Saint Kevins Church,Harrington Street,Dublin,Ireland, a Solem Requiem was celebrated according to the T.L.R. THE CHIOR SANG fAURE\’S REQUIEM.
What a wonderful liturgy:the Reverence,the dignity,altoghther uplifting.