Everything on this site is built on sources anyone can consult. The chant and prayer texts are the public patrimony of the Church; the translations are either public domain or prepared for this site; and the historical notes follow standard scholarship. We list our principal sources here in the interest of honesty and trust.
Scripture
The Clementine Vulgate (Biblia Sacra Vulgatæ Editionis, 1592) — the Latin Scripture of the traditional Roman rite, and the source of Latin passages such as the Advent Rorate Cæli (from Isaiah) and the Christmas Puer Natus Est. Public domain.
The Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims (Challoner revision, 18th century) — the traditional English Catholic translation, used for the English Scripture on this site. Public domain.
Liturgical & chant books
The Roman Missal (Missale Romanum) — the book of the Mass, source of the introits and sequences, including Puer Natus Est and the Dies Iræ.
The Roman Breviary and the Liturgy of the Hours — the Divine Office, source of the office hymns and Marian antiphons, including Ave Maris Stella, Salve Regina, and Regina Cæli.
The Liber Usualis (Abbey of Solesmes) — the standard one-volume book of Gregorian chant, and the principal reference for the chant texts and their liturgical use. The Graduale Romanum and Antiphonale are the Church's official chant books for the Mass and the Office.
Hymn texts & authorship
The Eucharistic hymn Pange Lingua, whose last two verses are the Tantum Ergo, is the work of St Thomas Aquinas, composed around 1264 for the feast of Corpus Christi; Adoro Te Devote is traditionally attributed to him. Ave Verum Corpus is an anonymous 14th-century hymn; Veni Sancte Spiritus, the “Golden Sequence,” is traditionally ascribed to Stephen Langton; and Attende Domine is of ancient Mozarabic origin.
The English renderings of the Latin hymns on this site are faithful prose translations prepared for Deus Magnus Est. Well-known public-domain verse translations also exist — for example those of J. M. Neale and Edward Caswall — and we note them where relevant.
History & reference
Historical notes follow standard, widely-attested scholarship. Where a well-loved account is legend rather than documented history — for instance the story that St Gregory the Great heard angels sing the Regina Cæli, or that Sts Ambrose and Augustine improvised the Te Deum — we say so plainly. The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), now in the public domain, is a convenient starting point for many of these topics.
A word on our method
We write in our own words and paraphrase rather than copy; we verify the Latin against authoritative editions before publishing; and we correct errors when they are found. If you spot one, write to us at professyourfaith@gmail.com. This site is a devotional and educational aid — for the authoritative text of the liturgy and the teaching of the faith, consult the Church's own current books and her Magisterium.
Last reviewed for accuracy on , against the Douay-Rheims Bible and the Church's own documents.