Reduction By Pius XII and Paul VI
Pope Pius XII simplified the calendar with a decree dated 23 March 1955: only the octaves of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost were kept, octaves that differed from the others in not repeating the same liturgy daily. All other octaves in the Roman Rite were suppressed, including those in local calendars. (See General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII#Octaves.) In 1969 the Roman Catholic Church further revised the Roman Calendar by removing the octave of Pentecost.
The first eight days of the Easter Season make up the octave of Easter and are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord, with proper readings and prayers. Since 30 April 2000, the "Second Sunday of Easter", which concludes the Easter Octave, has also been called Divine Mercy Sunday.
The Christmas Octave is arranged as follows:
- Sunday within the octave: feast of the Holy Family; celebrated on Friday, December 30 when Christmas is a Sunday
- 26 December: feast of Saint Stephen
- 27 December: feast of John the Apostle
- 28 December: feast of the Holy Innocents
- 29-31 December: days within the octave, with assigned readings and prayers, on which the celebration of optional memorials is permitted according to special rubrics (but as noted above, when Christmas is a Sunday, the feast of the Holy Family is celebrated on December 30)
- 1 January, octave day of the Nativity; solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Read more about this topic: Octave (liturgical)
Famous quotes containing the words reduction and/or pius:
“The reduction of nuclear arsenals and the removal of the threat of worldwide nuclear destruction is a measure, in my judgment, of the power and strength of a great nation.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“It is an error to believe that the Roman Pontiff can and ought to reconcile himself to, and agree with, progress, liberalism, and contemporary civilization.”
—Pope Pius IX (1792–1878)