The Medieval Pontificalia and the Necessitates Temporum: A Study of the Church's Liturgy Responding to the Needs of the Time

ABSTRACT:The history of liturgical books is a perennial story of unity and diversity. The development of sacramentaries, pontificals, and rituals presents a rich dialogue between the Roman Rite and the religious experience of a given people. The medieval pontificals, in particular, provide an insight into the fruit born from this dialogue. The "book of the bishop" not only contained rites requisite for the local pontiff, but also those that would eventually pass into the book of his priests—the Rituale. This essay examines how the medieval pontificalia helped the Church's liturgy respond to the realities of the day. Special attention is paid to the Pontifical of William Durandus, which served as a template for the Tridentine Pontifical.