On 25 July 1960, Pope John XXIII approved a revision to the General Roman Calendar by his , . It was promulgated by the Sacred Congregation of Rites the following day, 26 July 1960, by the decree . This 1960 calendar was incorporated into the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal, continued use of which Pope Benedict XVI authorized in his 7 July 2007 , and which Pope Francis updated in his 16 July 2021 , for use as a Tridentine Mass.
replaced the former classifications of Doubles, Semidoubles, and Simples with I, II, and III class feasts and commemorations. It removed some feasts, in particular duplications such as the Feast of the Cross (3 May and 14 September), the Chair of Peter (18 January and 22 February), Saint Peter (1 August and 29 June), Saint John the Evangelist (6 May and 27 December), Saint Michael (8 May and 29 September), and Saint Stephen (3 August and 26 December).
This calendar also incorporated the changes made by Pope Pius XII in 1955, which included the reduction of octaves to three; those of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.General decree Cum nostra of the Sacred Congregation of Rites
Changes to the Calendar New ranking system Novum rubricarum abolished the traditional ranking of Sundays, ferias, and feast days as doubles (of varying degrees) and simples—the rank of semidouble having already been suppressed by Pius XII in 1955—and introduced a new system of ranking the various liturgical days of the Roman rite. Feasts previously ranked as doubles of the I class were reclassified as feasts of the I class. Feasts previously ranked as doubles of the II class were reclassified as feasts of the II class. Feasts ranked in 1954 as greater doubles, doubles, and semidoubles were reclassified as feasts of the III class. Feasts that had formerly been ranked as simples and had been reduced to commemorations in Pius XII's 1955 revision of the calendar remained commemorations.Acta Apostolicae Sedis LII (1960)
The Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Passiontide, and Low Sunday were classified as Sundays of the I class. All other Sundays of the year—excluding those perpetually impeded by feasts of the I class—became Sundays of the II class.
Ash Wednesday, the ferias of Holy Week, the Paschal Triduum, and the days within the octaves of Easter and Pentecost (including the Ember Days of Pentecost) were classified as ferias of the I class. The ferias of Advent from 17 to 23 December inclusive, the days within the octave of Christmas not impeded by the feasts of saints (29–31 December inclusive), as well as the Ember Days of Advent, Lent, and September were ranked as ferias of the II class. The ferias of Advent, excluding 17–23 December, were ranked as ferias of the III class, as were the ferias of Lent and Passiontide. In addition, the ferias of Lent and Passiontide were given precedence over all feasts of the III class, with III-class feasts reduced to commemorations in years in which they fell during Lent or Passiontide. The remaining ferias of the year were classified ferias of the IV class.
The following feasts were reduced to commemorations: the previous greater doubles of Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (16 July) Our Lady of Ransom (24 September) The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Friday after the I Sunday in Passiontide) the previous doubles of The Impression of the Sacred Stigmata of St. Francis Confessor (17 September) Ss. Eustace and Companions Martyrs (20 September) St. Thomas [of Canterbury] Bishop and Martyr (29 December) St. Sylvester I Pope and Confessor (31 December) the previous simples (up to 1955, semidoubles) of St. George Martyr (23 April) St. Alexius Confessor (17 July) Ss. Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdus Martyrs (8 August)
The following days of the II class became liturgical days of the I class: Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord (1 January) The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (2 November or 3 November if 2 November falls on Sunday)
The following greater doubles became liturgical days of the II class: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph (I Sunday after Epiphany) The Chair of Saint Peter (22 February) The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14 September)
Deletions and additions to the calendar The following feasts were deleted from the calendar: doubles of the II class The Finding of the Holy Cross (3 May; considered a duplication of the 14 September feast of the Cross) greater doubles The Chair of Saint Peter Apostle at Rome (18 January; merged with the 22 February feast of St. Peter's Chair at Antioch) St. John Apostle and Evangelist Before the Latin Gate (6 May; considered a duplication of the 27 December feast of St. John) The Apparition of St. Michael Archangel (8 May; considered a duplication of the 29 September feast of the Dedication of St. Michael) St. Peter Apostle in Chains (1 August; considered a duplication of the 29 June feast of Ss. Peter and Paul) simples (up to 1955, semidoubles) St. Leo II Pope and Confessor (3 July; removed as a result of the transfer of St. Irenaeus to 3 July) St. Anacletus Pope and Martyr (13 July; merged with the 26 April feast of St. Cletus) On the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen Protomartyr (3 August; considered a duplication of the 26 December feast of St. Stephen) The commemoration of St. Vitalis Martyr (28 April) was likewise deleted, due to doubts about the historicity of his martyrdom.
The following feasts were inscribed in the calendar: St. Gregory Barbarigo Bishop and Confessor (17 June, III cl.) St. Anthony Mary Claret Bishop and Confessor (23 October, III cl.)
Other changes The following feasts were transferred: St. Irenaeus Bishop and Martyr (28 June to 3 July; to make room for celebration of the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul) St. John Mary Vianney Confessor (9 to 8 August; to be nearer to his natalis) The commemoration of Ss. Sergius, Bacchus, Marcellus, and Apuleius Martyrs was transferred from 7 to 8 October, due to rubrical changes that restricted the number of commemorations allowed on a II-class feast (in this case, the 7 October feast of the Rosary) to only one.
The following titles were changed: The Circumcision of the Lord became the Octave Day of the Nativity (1 January) The Octave Day of the Epiphany became the Commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord (13 January, II cl.) The Chair of St. Peter Apostle at Antioch became The Chair of St. Peter Apostle (22 February) The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary became Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary (7 October)
The new rubrics also restricted the transferral of impeded feast days that occur in a given year on the same day as a liturgical day of higher rank solely to feasts of the I class (formerly doubles of the I class). Under the older rubrics, both doubles of the I class and doubles of the II class (feasts of the II class under the 1960 rubrics) were transferred when impeded.
Post-1960 developments On 25 March 2020, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made public the decree Cum sanctissima, dated 22 February 2020, which introduced a number of options for use in contemporary celebration of the Office and Mass according to the 1961 Breviary and 1962 Missal. With regard to the liturgical calendar, the decree grants permission for the celebration of feasts of saints canonized after 26 July 1960, using the dates set forth by the Holy See for the liturgical observance of these saints for the universal Church. The decree also allows the option for the celebration of certain III-class feasts during Lent and Passiontide, which heretofore had been forbidden by the 1960 Code of Rubrics.
January 1: Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord, I class. 2: Feria. 3: Feria. 4: Feria. 5: Commemoration of St. Telesphorus Pope and Martyr, Comm. 6: On the Epiphany of the Lord, I class. 7: Feria. 8: Feria. 9: Feria. 10: Feria. 11: Commemoration of St. Hyginus Pope and Martyr, Comm. 12: Feria. 13: On the Commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, II class. 14: St. Hilary Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, III class, Com. of St. Felix Priest and Martyr. 15: St. Paul the First Hermit, Confessor, III class, Com. of St. Maurus Abbot. 16: St. Marcellus I Pope and Martyr, III class. 17: St. Anthony Abbot, III class. 18: Commemoration of St. Prisca Virgin and Martyr, Comm. 19: Commemoration of Ss. Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum Martyrs, Comm., Com. of St. Canute, Martyr. 20: Ss. Fabian Pope and Sebastian Martyrs, III class. 21: St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, III class 22: Ss. Vincent and Anastasius Martyrs, III class. 23: St. Raymund of Peñafort Confessor, III class, Com. of St. Emerentiana Virgin and Martyr. 24: St. Timothy Bishop and Martyr, III class. 25: On the Conversion of St. Paul Apostle, III class, Com. of St. Peter Apostle. 26: St. Polycarp Bishop and Martyr, III class. 27: St. John Chrysostom Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, III class. 28: St. Peter Nolasco Confessor, III class, Com. of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr second. 29: St. Francis de Sales Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, III class. 30: St. Martina Virgin and Martyr, III class. 31: St. John Bosco Confessor, III class.
Sunday between the octave of the Nativity of the Lord and the Epiphany, or, with this lacking, 2 January: The Most Holy Name of Jesus, II class. I Sunday after Epiphany: The Most Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, II class.
February 1: St. Ignatius Bishop and Martyr, III class. 2: On the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, II class. 3: Commemoration of St. Blase Bishop and Martyr, Comm. 4: St. Andrew Corsini Bishop and Confessor, III class. 5: St. Agatha Virgin and Martyr, III class. 6: St. Titus Bishop and Confessor, III class, Com. of St. Dorothy Virgin and Martyr. 7: St. Romuald Abbot, III class. 8: St. John of Matha Confessor, III class. 9: St. Cyril Bishop of Alexandria, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, III class, Com. of St. Apollonia Virgin and Martyr. 10: St. Scholastica Virgin, III class. 11: On the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate, III class. 12: The Seven Holy Founders of the Order of Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary Confessors, III class. 13: Feria. 14: Commemoration of St. Valentine Priest and Martyr, Comm. 15: Commemoration of Ss. Faustinus and Jovita Martyrs, Comm. 16: Feria. 17: Feria. 18: Commemoration of St. Simeon Bishop and Martyr, Comm. 19: Feria. 20: Feria. 21: Feria. 22: Chair of St. Peter, II class, Com. of St. Paul. 23: St. Peter Damian Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, III class. 24: St. Matthias Apostle, II class. 25: Feria. 26: Feria. 27: St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, III class 28: Feria.
In leap year the month of February is of 29 days, and the feast of St. Matthias is celebrated on the 25th day and the feast of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows on the 28th day of February, and twice is said Sixth Kalends, that is on the 24th and 25th; and the dominical letter, which was taken up in the month of January, is changed to the preceding; that, if in January, the dominical letter was A, it is changed to the preceding, which is G, etc.; and the letter F is kept twice, on the 24th and 25th.Kalendarium, Missale Romanum: "In anno bissextili mensis februarius est dierum 29, et festum S. Matthiae celebratur die 25 ac festum S. Gabrielis a Virgine Perdolente die 28 februarii, et bis dicitur Sexto Kalendas, id est die 24 et die 25; et littera dominicalis, quae assumpta fuit in mense ianuario, mutatur in praecedentem; ut, si in Januario, littera dominicalis fuerit A, mutetur in praecedentem, quae est g, etc.; et littera f bis servit, 24 et 25.
March 1: Feria. 2: Feria. 3: Feria. 4: St. Casimir Confessor, III class, Com. of St. Lucius I Pope and Martyr. 5: Feria. 6: Ss. Perpetua and Felicity Martyrs, III class. 7: St. Thomas Aquinas Confessor and Doctor of the Church, III class. 8: St. John of God Confessor, III class. 9: St. Frances of Rome Widow, III class.