To open a 1952 Rituale Romanum today is to step into a different Catholic imagination. Here, holy water is not a symbol but a weapon against demons. The blessing of a house involves Psalm 117 (“O praise the Lord, all ye nations”), the Vidi aquam , and a sprinkling of water in the form of a cross in each room. The dying are not simply “let go” but accompanied by litanies, psalms, and the powerful prayer Proficiscere, anima Christiana (“Go forth, Christian soul”).
The 1952 Rituale is divided into several tituli (titles), each covering a specific category of the Church’s sacramental and pastoral life: rituale romanum 1952
(The priest places the white garment on the baptized.) Priest: Receive this white garment, which may you carry without stain before the judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may have life everlasting. R. Amen. To open a 1952 Rituale Romanum today is