Breviary
the book which contains prayers or offices to be used at the seven canonical hours of matins, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, and compline by all in the orders of the Church of Rome, or in the enjoyment of any Roman Catholic benefice. It is not known at what time the use of the breviary was first enjoined, but the early offices offices were exhaustive from their great length, and under Gregory VII. (1073-1805) their abridgment was considered necessary, hence the origin of the breviary (Latin lished that which has remained, with few brevis, short). In 1568, Pius V. pubmodifications, to the present day. The Roman breviary, however, was never fully accepted by the Gallican Church until after the strenuous efforts made by the Ultramontanes from 1840 to 1864.
The Psalms occupy a large place in the breviary; passages from the Old and New Testament and from the fathers BREVIPENNES have the next place. All the services are in Latin, and their arrangement is very complex. The English Book of Common Prayer is based on the Roman Breviary.