ROMAN MISSAL OF THE 18th CENTURY

The Missal is beautifully bound with silver clasps and silver medallions and corners. It dates from 1773 but is the Missal of Saint Pius V, the Pope who, through the Council of Trent in the XVIth century, reformed the Catholic Church, which was adrift and under attack from the Protestants. The Missal imposed the same texts throughout the Church.

On the title page, Popes sign their names with the humble phrase “servus servorum Dei”, i.e. “the servant of the servants of God,” which contrasts with the numerous titles that certain clerics in the Church today arrogate to themselves.