The complete Roman Missal — Schott 1927
Latin and German · second revised edition · Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1927
Anselm Schott’s “The complete Roman Missal in Latin and German with introductions”, edited by Fr Pius Bihlmeyer OSB (Beuron / Herder, second edition, 1927) — fully digitised by me and provided here as a free, searchable PDF with an OCR text layer.
Looking for a Schott download? The frequently requested 1962 edition is not offered here as a PDF. The available 1927 edition provides access to an earlier form of the traditional Roman liturgy. Differences from the Schott or Missal of 1962 are explained below.
Note: Four pages were damaged during scanning. They are being restored and will then be added to the PDF. Apart from those four pages, the current version is complete.
Text differences from the Missale Romanum 1962
The 1927 Schott reproduces the Missale Romanum in the form of the 1920 typical edition — the form after the reforms of Pius X (reorganisation of the Psalter in 1911) and before all subsequent changes. The Missale Romanum 1962 (the typical edition under John XXIII.), on which this website is based, differs through three major waves of reform. The order of Mass (Ordo Missae) and the wording of the prayers remain largely the same; the differences mainly concern Holy Week, rubrics and the calendar, and certain formularies.
1.Holy Week (reform of Pius XII, 1955)
The largest difference. The Ordo Hebdomadae Sanctae instauratus (1955) reordered the entire Sacred Triduum. The 1927 Schott still contains the old form:
- Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday morning — restored to the night in 1962, with a new service of light, renewal of baptismal promises (in the vernacular) and fewer prophecies (12 → 4 readings).
- Blessing of palms and Palm Sunday procession, Maundy Thursday (evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper), Good Friday (afternoon) — significantly changed in structure and timing in 1955/1962.
2.Rubrics and calendar (1955 / Code of Rubrics 1960)
The decrees Cum nostra hac aetate (1955) and the Code of Rubrics of 1960 considerably simplified the observance:
- Feast ranks: the former system (Double of the first/second class, Greater Double, Double, Semidouble, Simple) was replaced by the four classes I–IV .
- Octaves: only Christmas, Easter and Pentecost remain — in 1927 there are still many octaves (Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Ascension, Sacred Heart, saints' octaves and others).
- Vigils and commemorations greatly reduced; usually only one collect instead of the former accumulation of several prayers.
- Confiteor before the Communion of the faithful is omitted in 1962 — it is still prescribed in the 1927 Schott.
3.New feasts and Mass formularies (1925–1962)
Between 1920 and 1962, feasts and their own formularies were added that are missing or worded differently in the 1927 Schott:
- Assumption of Mary (15 August): after the definition of the dogma in 1950, the feast received the new formulary “Signum magnum” — in 1927 the former formulary is still used: “Gaudeamus”.
- St Joseph the Worker (1 May), introduced in 1955 (replacing the former feast of the Patronage of St Joseph); Immaculate Heart of Mary (1944); Queenship of Mary (1954) — all after 1927.
- Christ the King: Introduced by Pius XI in 1925 (last Sunday in October) — in this edition already included (p. 1105, “The feast of Christ the King”, 31 October); the same Mass as in 1962, so the texts do not differ.
- St Joseph’s name in the Canon: At the end of 1962, John XXIII added St Joseph to the Communicantes . The Canon in the 1927 Schott does not yet.
Schott 1927
Missale Romanum according to the 1920 typical edition · unreformed Holy Week · former ranking system with many octaves · Canon without St Joseph.
1962 Missal
Typical edition under John XXIII · reformed Holy Week (1955) · four feast classes · St Joseph in the Canon — the basis of this website.
The Latin text of the Missal is in the public domain. This edition is therefore freely accessible. The current form of the traditional liturgy can be found in the Proper and Calendar according to the Missale Romanum 1962.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Schott 1962 available as a free download?
The 1927 edition is available here as a free PDF, rather than the Schott of 1962. Differences in the calendar, rubrics and Mass formularies are explained above.
Which edition does the download contain?
The download contains the Roman Missal (Schott), second revised edition, Herder 1927, as a searchable digital copy.
What is the difference between the Schott 1927 and the Missal of 1962?
Mainly the Holy Week reform of 1955, the simplified ranking and calendar system (Code of Rubrics 1960), and some feasts and formularies added after 1927. The Ordo Missae and prayer texts are largely unchanged. For details, see Differences from the 1962 Missal.
What is the format and size of the PDF?
A searchable PDF with an OCR text layer, 1495 pages, approximately 60 MB, in Latin and German.