Of the three books I examined in Milwaukee, in many ways this was the most fascinating: a liturgical ordo for the year 1681 (MDCLXXXI), owned by a cardinal, as the beautifully gold-stamped white leather cover indicates, and as a hand-written message on the inside cover confirms: the book belonged to “Cardinal Altieri (Paluzzo Degli Albertoni), cardinal in 1664, bishop of Porto... died 29 June 1698,” all of which matches this record.
Looking here at January: note the octave day of the Holy Innocents on the 4th; the Epiphany on the 6th; the Sunday within the Octave on the 12th; etc.
When we reach Ash Wednesday, we see the notice, “Weddings are closed”, i.e., no more weddings now that Lent has begun.
A page that proclaims to the city and the world that a new feast day has been established by Pope Innocent XI and is to be observed at Mass on October 17: that of St. Hedwig (Jadwiga).
I was intrigued to see what appeared to be a table of solar times so that the hours of the Divine Office could be adjusted to the change of light.
Similarly, the ordo contains the prayer in which the priest formulates his intention for offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Indicating the dates when cardinals should wear red, purple, or rose.
The title page notes that this ordo contains special information on cardinalitial vesting.
A posthumous inscription indicating which cardinal owned this book (if you didn’t happen to know his coat of arms by heart).
From April into May; one sees that May 1 is SS. Philip and James.
This page furnishes quite precise calculations as to “lunation,” that is, the lunar cycle.
Explanation of the above table.
Handily, the ordo provides the prayers to be said before and after the Divine Office.
