Breviarium Romanum by Nova et Vetera

For my first review, it seemed fitting to post about the very breviary that got this project started: the 1962 Breviarium Romanum (Roman Breviary) published by Nova et Vetera.

This edition of the Roman Breviary, published in 2008, contains the same structure and rubrics promulgated by Blessed Pope John XIII in 1960. While the Liturgy of the Hours (to be reviewed at a later date) is the primary divine office for use by Roman Catholic clergy, religious, and lay people around the world, this edition of the Roman Breviary is officially authorized for use as per Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum." Imprimatur granted by his Excellency Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke, O.S.B.

Let us take a quick survey of the construction and materials used for this set.

Store & Cost

When I purchased this set in February 2020, it was still stocked and sold by Fraternity Publications, the publishing arm and online bookstore of the Fraternity of St. Peter. At the time I paid 269.99 USD plus shipping to Canada, and it took between 7 and 10 business days to arrive. While it is not on the Fraternity Publications website, check in with them periodically--I suspect they will be offering it again in future.

In the meantime, you are able to purchase this set directly from the publisher at http://www.breviariumromanum.com/home_en.html. The publisher's site also offers a slip cover, which is strongly recommended if you are usually on the go. While I have not ordered this yet, it is on my wish list so I can protect my investment.

Materials Survey

Presentation

When I received this set, each volume came individually wrapped with the insert cards (more on those later). Also included were the Propers for usage in North America (on the same paper as the rest of the breviary). Each volume was individually shrink-wrapped and was securely packaged for shipping.

Cover & Binding

Each volume measures 1 5/16" and 1 3/16" thick, respectively, with area dimensions of 4" x 7 1/8". The cover boasts a beautiful genuine leather, both soft and flexible while being sturdy and respectable for heavy use, and both front and back covers are lined with what feels like vinyl stock--great for gripping the card inserts.

The binding is a proper Smyth-Sewn binding, which allow it to lay open nicely, even in the first or last quarters of the book. After a year of use the binding (especially in volume I) has relaxed enough to lay flat with the first few pages open, with the rear cover rising only a little bit with the last few pages open. That said, it does not feel like this book will need to be rebound for many, many years.

Ribbons & Paper

It is worth noting this set comes with six ribbons per volume, an absolute minimum requirement for a breviary. While six ribbons are present, you can be relieved to know you are rarely using all of them at one time. (Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever used all six in one office!) The ribbons are quite fine, however they stand up well to regular, heavy use. I would advise to finish the ribbons ends, as mine quickly began to fray. It is wonderful to see the ribbons spaced across the depth of the book--this looks better and is functionally better than having them grouped together in the centre (typically found in lower quality publications).

The pages are 28 gram off-white "Bible Paper," which allows all the material to be comfortably packed into two volumes. Comparing that to regular printer paper at 80 grams, this paper is quite thin. Some people prefer a heavier paper and are scared of damaging such thin paper, however after a year of regular use I do not have any rips or crinkles in either volume. As the paper is 28 grams, the text can be seen from backside of the page. While this is noticeable, it has not been distracting for me (I'll get to that soon). The edges are gold gilt, and the corners are rounded to prevent damage to the pages.

Looking Inside

The Text & Readability

The beauty and readability of the text is the first thing that stood out to me when I first opened these volumes. The font is exquisite and heavy enough to keep your eyes drawn into the text of the prayers. Texts of the Psalms and Prayers are in black while the rubrics are a deep red and slightly smaller in size. I had mentioned earlier about the text on the backside of the page showing through, however you can see here it is not a problem with strength of the font.

Accent marks are included in the Psalms and Prayers to aide in recitation. I've found in many Latin prayer books, and some Bibles, these are not always included. For those of us who are comfortable or even proficient in Latin this is not a problem. Those of us, however, who are not strong in Latin or even just starting out with it appreciate having the accent marks--I sure did when I began learning Latin!

A quick note about the rubrics, and a big shout-out to Nova et Vetera for this: they only have as many as necessary in the body of the Offices. There is one particular breviary I hope to review in future that truly is a gem, however it was 'death by rubrics' in the Ordinary and parts of the Psalter. Not so in this breviary! There is a reasonable expectation one becomes accustomed to the rubrics of the Office they are reciting before reciting it, so Nova et Vetera was able to keep the rubrics down to only the essentials within the Propers, Ordinary, Psalter, and Commons. Very well done!

Language

Speaking of Latin, I need to emphasize everything, absolutely everything, in this edition of the Roman Breviary is in Latin. If you are new to Latin or are not proficient enough to at least piece together what you are reading, you will need to find a copy of the Rubrics of the Roman Breviary and Missal. You can find this in soft cover for purchase at Angelus Press, or for free online reading at DivinumOfficium.com.

A quick further note about Latin and prayer for those of us not bound to the daily recitation of the Divine Office: it is advisable to develop at least a basic foundation in Latin if you want to use this breviary. While my ability in Latin is not bad (in that I can understand most of what I'm reading), it is not great and I struggle with understanding some of the hymns and readings (notably those by the Church Fathers in Matins). Using this breviary is a considerable investment not just of your money, but also of your time.

The Psalter in this breviary is the Psalterium Romanum from the traditional Latin Vulgate, as opposed to many other modern Latin breviaries using the Novum Psalterium (aka the "Pian" or "Bea" Psalter) or the Psalter of the Nova Vulgata. This version of the Psalter flows extremely well (with some exceptions) and is a joy to use in prayer. The Psalter from the Nova Vulgata, while a product of more modern translation scholarship, reads slightly less poetic. While accuracy is important, flow and poetry certainly aide in maintaining a prayerful spirit and mind. For those who are scratching your heads, compare the Coverdale English Psalter with the English Standard Version Psalter: while the ESV boasts superior accuracy from a much broader range of manuscripts, the Coverdale is timeless in its poetry and use of the vernacular in literary imagery. For a traditional breviary, I would say it was a good choice to use the Psalter from the traditional Latin Vulgate (like a Book of Common Prayer should stick with the Coverdale).

The Contents & Layout

The arrangement of this breviary is worth emphasizing, most especially the Ordinary and the Psalter. The Ordinary and the Psalter are placed in the middle of the book, which facilitates easier movement around the volume for the variables and also means a longer life for the binding. You will spend the bulk of your time in the Psalter, so having it in the middle means having a balanced book when held open or placed on a prayer desk/table. The Psalter contains often repeated parts of the Ordinary, which reduces the unnecessary flipping back and forth I've experienced in other breviaries.

The Propers of the Seasons are aptly located at the front before the Ordinary, with the Propers of the Saints (or daily Propers) are immediately following the Psalter, which are then followed by the Commons of the Saints. Also included in both volumes in the Commons are:

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Office of the Dead,
Gradual Psalms,
Seven Penitential Psalms, and
The Litany of the Saints.

In the appendix following the Commons are various additional prayers, including:

Preparation Prayers for Mass,
Thanksgiving Prayers for after Mass,
Various Prayers for after Mass,
Prayers for Various Occasions (ie: before study, for before and after confession, etc.).

The appendix also includes selections from the Rituale Romanum (Roman Ritual), including:

blessings before and after meals,
Itinerarium (prayers for travel),
various Litanies (incl. Holy Name of Jesus, Heart of Jesus, Precious Blood, etc.)
various blessings (incl. crucifixes, icons, homes, candles, etc.)

At the front of each volume, before the Propers of the Seasons, are various letters regarding the prayer of the Church, the breviary itself, Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, and the General Rubrics of the Roman Breviary. Following are the various tables of Pascha (ahem, Easter) dates, moveable feasts, Kalendar, etc. Effectively, everything you need to recite the Roman Breviary until 2047 is right there in the front. This is a good place to keep a ribbon!

Supplements Included

The first notable supplements are inside both the front and back covers. Here you will find some of the most common prayers used in the breviary, including the Ambrosian Hymn, Psalm 94 (Venite Exsultemus), the Invitatories, the Absolutions at Matins, Canticles of Zachariah and Mary, Final Antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and prayers before and after the Office. In lieu of the included card supplements (more on those soon!), these cardstock pages are a God-send during the Offices. For Lauds and Vespers, I typically stick with these for the Canticles of Zachariah and Mary, leaving the supplemental cards aside.

Another interesting supplement in the back on cardstock is a series of brief formulas (baptism, absolution, extreme unction, general absolution, and Papal blessing). Naturally, the Breviarium Romanum (like the Liturgy of the Hours) is first and foremost intended for those who are bound to recite the Divine Office daily: bishops, priests, deacons, and religious. As a priest would have either of these volumes usually within reach and so it makes sense these very important formulae are included for them. While we are also encouraged to join the rest of the Church in reciting the Divine Office, we would not use these sacerdotal formulae as lay people. It does not hurt to be familiar with them.

One of my favorite parts of this breviary is the inclusion of so many card supplements. For those of you not familiar with the role of these cards, most of the content on these loose cards are for praying Matins. Matins is the most complex of the Offices and requires a great deal of flipping back and forth for Psalms, antiphons, collects, absolutions, hymns, Propers, etc. The cards contain a lot of the smaller parts in Matins, as well as Lauds and Vespers, to eliminate unnecessary flipping. Each volume has a separate set of cards (effectively five two-sided cards) proper to the respective volume. They are the same weight as the cardstock affixed in the front and back of the breviary, only they include lamination to ensure longevity.

Something I would have liked to see in the laminated cards is the endings for the Collects. While most are either "Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum..." or "Per eundem Dominom nostrum..." there are quite a few that vary from these two formulae. The only aide given in this breviary is on page 25*, which has a small section "On the Conclusion of the Orations/Prayers." Granted, in time these are committed to memory (like much or all of the Psalter, many hymns, lessons, etc.), however it would be a great help to the many who embark upon the journey of praying the Roman Breviary without prior knowledge of these endings. That said, it doesn't take much to make a separate card for oneself.

One more gem included in my set from the FSSP Bookstore was the Propers (Propria) for North America (well, more properly for the USA) that are not widely celebrated beyond Canada, the USA, and Mexico. It came as a separate stapled booklet using the same paper, font, format, etc. of the breviary according to the Propers of the Saints. Be forewarned: there is no cardstock on the outside or any way of protecting it apart from the cover of the breviary, so keep it in the front or back covers (or somewhere else safe) when not in use.

If you order your copy of the Breviarium Romanum from Nova et Vetera directly, you actually have the option to order (in addition to the breviary) the Propria Officia for France, USA, and Germany, as well as the option for a companion of Hymni Antiqui that were in the Breviarium Romanum prior to Pope Urban VIII in 1631. Fun fact: some of these Hymni Antiqui are now found in the 1974 (and later) Liturgy of the Hours. When I eventually order my slip-covers from Nova et Vetera, I'll certainly be ordering a copy of the Hymni Antiqui, as well!

Extras?

It would be a great injustice if I did not at least mention the beautiful artwork contained in this edition of the Breviarium Romanum. The website by the publisher says there are 33 images and several vignettes throughout both volumes, which is enough to 'wow' the user but not so many as to distract from the text of the prayers (after all, it is about the prayerful recitation of the Divine Office we are most concerned about when purchasing this set).

Naturally, we are called to prayer coming from the heart and including our minds. To some, praying from a book may seem disingenuous or even monotonous, however as one who comes from an Evangelical Protestant upbringing these images have been quite helpful in reminding me in my purpose for intentional, formal prayer. These images are very tasteful and subtle, not overwhelming the user and thus not distracting from the text.

Conclusion

I have used this set for the better part of the year since purchased, and I have been immensely blessed by this beautiful work. My love for the Divine Office certainly has grown over the past year, in ways previous experiences with other breviaries did not. It did not take long to become accustomed to using this breviary, and the key reason for this is how everything was arranged and formatted. While the price tag is a little steep, it is very well worth the investment of time and money to use and be enriched by this breviary.

Nova et Vetera, this is a job very well done and I am confident to highly recommend this gem to anyone, both clergy and laity, looking for the Breviarium Romanum.

Deo gratias!

Did you enjoy this blog entry? Would you like to see more like this? Was there something you would like to know about this breviary that was not addressed here? Is there a particular breviary, prayer book, Bible, or missal you would like me to review? Please let me know down in the comments or send me a message.