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Missal

Ash Wednesdays listed for Tuesdays

The 2002 Roman Missal has incorrect dates for Ash Wednesday in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020.

The table with the incorrect dates is on page 117 of Missale Romanum, ISBN: 8820972719.

Ash Wednesday is listed a day early, on the Tuesday. Apparently someone has failed to account for the extra day in February in leap years.

Father Martin Wallace, O.P. noticed the errors and contacted me by email about them.

The errors also effect the 8th column of the table, listing the day before Ash Wednesday, the last day in Ordinary Time before Lent. For the five leap years it has a Monday, instead of a Tuesday.

The corrections required for the Ash Wednesday column, headed "Dies Cinerum":

2004 from 24 febr. to 25 febr.
2008 from 5 febr. to 6 febr.
2012 from 21 febr. to 22 febr.
2016 from 9 febr. to 10 febr.
2020 from 25 febr. to 26 febr.

For the 8th column headed "usque ad d." the corrections required are:

2004 from 23 febr. to 24 febr.
2008 from 4 febr. to 5 febr.
2012 from 20 febr. to 21 febr.
2016 from 8 febr. to 9 febr.
2020 from 24 febr. to 25 febr.

By J.R. Lilburne, 5 February 2007. I give what I have written on this page to the public domain.