Customer Reviews

The Mass Of The Roman Rite : Its Origins and Development (Missarum Sollemnia) (2 Volume Set) (Vols 1&2)

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I first encountered Father Jungmann's Mass of the Roman Rite in the late seventies while attending the Center for Mediaeval Studies, University of Toronto. It was an imposing tome at the time, it still is. Nonetheless, it is a magisterial treatment of the development of the Western liturgical tradition from its beginnings at the Last Supper through the changes which were instituted as a result of the Council of Trent. It is an invaluable source for the process by which the western rite developed. Fr. Jungmann throughout shows amply the variety of liturgical forms that developed in the west (examples from the gallican, mozarabic, sarum, etc.) and the gradual unification into the Roman Rite. Fr. Jungmann approaches his subject with awe and respect and at the same time is a relentless historical critic - this is a very difficult position to maintain. A large part of the value of this book is found in the author's ability to walk that narrow line. This book was influential with the Liturgical Reformers who changed so much after the Vatican Council II (though the changes wrought by the reformers far exceeded spirit and text of Fr. Jungmann's work). The major failing of the book is that its focus is too narrow and does not adequately consider the comparative and shared liturgical background of the Eastern Churches and, indeed, of Judiac liturgical practices. But, this is a quibble compared to the monumental nature of the endeavor that Jungmann undertook and completed.

Jungmann's magnificent work actually deserves five stars. The problem with this edition is that it is simply a reprint of the early 1950's translation of the 2nd German edition (1949). Jungmann went up to a 5th edition (1962), which, being on the eve of Vatican II, was of considerable importance. Some sections had undergone major revision by that time, for example, the Commingling. Very little of this section in the English corresponds to the final German edition. Other sections, however, do remain unchanged.
This publication is still handy for those who cannot read German, but readers need to bear in mind that some parts are seriously dated. A truly great service would be provided by the publishers if they were to update their translation.