2-year lectionary latin readings for Holy Week on the Liturgia Horarum
  • ARC_Jols
    Posts: 29
    Good day

    On the Notitiae 320 (1993, vol. 29; http://www.cultodivino.va/.../indici-annate/1993/320.html) there are the latin readings/responsories for the 2 year cycle of the Office of Readings, for Holy Week.

    My question is: can these readings be used instead of the one-year-cycle readings provided on most (if not all) printed versions and be used on the public recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours?

    Or are they just a proposal that can't be used and its their for the sake of discussion? Thank you!
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,510
    There is an opinion here https://www.praytellblog.com/index.php/2018/10/18/liturgical-new-years-resolution-part-ii/ the most relevant part for your question is :-
    In general, it must be remembered that until the Congregation for Divine Worship (or a particular bishops’ conference) sees fit to release an editio typica of the Biennial Lectionary for the Liturgy of the Hours, be that in Volume V of the Liturgy of the Hours or in another format, all versions of the biennial Lectionary are neither fully official nor fully unofficial incarnations of the Biennial Lectionary.

    That webpage also contains suggestions of available sources.
    [ADDED] The Universalis app gives English and Latin (& other languages) but not the two-year cycle readings in Latin. It notes that the two-year cycle is not available in Latin.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen ARC_Jols Paul F. Ford
  • ARC_Jols
    Posts: 29
    That is very informative! My interest in the 2 year latim cycle for the Office of Readings Holy week Readings comes from the fact that the latin responsories on the 2 year cycle have melodies, v.s. the Latin responsories of the 1 year cycle which I can't find melodies for, on the Nocturnale or other sources
  • PLTT
    Posts: 158
    The two-year cycle has been given an additional revised treatment recently (cf. Notitiae 2020) and was sent to all the Episcopal Conferences worldwide to be used as the basis of their revisions. There is an excellent article in Notitiae 2020 that also treats the history of the two-year cycle and its variations over the past 5 decades. The letter of the Congregation to the Conferences mentions that an ongoing project in the CDW are now the two-year cycle of Patristic readings.

    http://www.cultodivino.va/content/cultodivino/it/rivista-notitiae/indici-annate/2020.html

    The commentary in Notitiae (by the Italian Jesuit liturgist Mario Ariosto) concludes:

    "It is still to be hoped that the two-year cycle will be made available to those who
    pray with the Liturgy of the Hours, first in Latin, and then in other languages. Some
    hope might be offered by the publication of a Complementum to the Liturgia Horarum,
    but the ideal would be that of a tertia editio typica with the two-year cycle to be strongly
    recommended, although its adoption could be left to the pastoral judgement of the
    Episcopal Conferences."


    There is an experimental edition published in English (from the Philippines) of the two year English cycle, including the Patristic readings.
    Thanked by 3chonak smvanroode DanielT
  • PLTT
    Posts: 158
    An update on the Liturgia Horarum:

    Earlier this month, the DDW wrote to all the Episcopal Conferences to announce that they have completed the Latin Supplement for the Liturgia Horarum. This work consists of an official set of "psalm prayers" (expanded to include the Canticles); a two year cycle of both biblical and patristic readings, together with their responsories; and an additional vast ad libitum lectionary for the Office of Readings with further options for the Second Readings from the saints of the church, the Saturday Marian memorial, etc.

    Of particular interest is the reorganization of Patristic Second Readings to better correspond to the First Reading of the two year cycle; and (among other things) the provision of a set of commentaries from the Fathers on the Sundays Gospels according to the three year cycle. The DDW has even suggested that these could be used at the Expanded Vigil of the Office of Readings in lieu of a homily - a move that would expand the number of readings to 3, a pattern reminiscent of the pre-conciliar Matins, where the 3rd nocturn reading was a commentary on the Gospel.

    Sadly, the DDW has opted NOT to publish the Latin text in an electronic format. It is expected that the full publication in a physical format will take some time. For now, the copyrighted Latin text is being made available only to commissions of the Episcopal Conferences/Religious Orders who wish to translate it. It remains to be seen whether any of the Conferences will in fact take up this task which would be quite momentous. For the moment, circulation and publication of the Latin text, whether electronically or in print, is forbidden.

    I expect that many of the major languages (English, French, German, etc.) are too busy translating (or re-translating) more commonly used liturgical texts; and for most other languages, even the current Office of Readings is not yet translated (or widely used).

    Personally, I am a little surprised that the DDW has opted against publishing an official electronic version. The Latin book is unlikely to see wide use, and with the vast number of texts, an online publication would seem to make more sense and be more cost -effective. Perhaps they are concerned that in the absence of an official translation, unofficial versions might flourish.
    Thanked by 5Liam CHGiffen GerardH igneus DanielT
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