As readers will surely be aware, there is a wide variety of valid liturgical expression within the Latin Church. The long history of the Church, along with the geographical and cultural variety of the faithful, has allowed for the development of proper local liturgical traditions. Many people are at least somewhat familiar with the various Eastern Catholic liturgical traditions.
Many of these rites are very ancient. St. Pius V’s bulls Quod a nobis (1568) and Quo primum (1570) standardized the Roman Rite throughout the Western Church and imposed it nearly universally—but an exception was made for rites which had been approved for use for more than 200 years. Many of the rites used by religious orders, or in certain regions, fell under this exception, and thus they continued to be used even after the Tridentine reform.
There are also a great number of liturgical rites that are no longer in use. These were used historically, but for one reason or another were suppressed or simply fell out of use. We will not be considering those here, although that is a fascinating subject of its own. Instead, we will focus on differences among the rites specific to certain regions or religious orders in the celebration of the Mass. Many of the rites discussed below also have variations of the Divine Office, which we will not address in this article.
This article is a foray into the variety of liturgical expressions and traditions within the Latin Church. Entire books could be (and have been) written on the subject, and I encourage the interested reader to dive deeper into whatever seems most interesting.1 The purpose of this article is to help us understand that a valid and authentic liturgical variety helps illustrate the universality and unity of the Church.
Premonstratensian Rite
The Norbertine Rite—or, more properly, the Premonstratensian Rite—is that rite particular to the Order of Premonstratensians, more commonly known as the Norbertines, named after their founder, St. Norbert. The differences here are smaller than with many other rites, but still of note, and concern the celebration of Mass, the Divine Office, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Here we will focus on the Mass.
The Missal used by the Norbertines is proper to their order and is arranged differently than the Roman Missal. The Canon is identical in both, with slight variations in the timing of gestures, such as the priest bowing or genuflecting at different points, or the priest extending his arms in the form of a cross rather than holding them over the offering. Like the Roman Rite of the Mass, for one week after Easter, the Norbertines sing two alleluias following the Ite, missa est (“Go, the Mass is ended”), but unlike the Roman Rite, they continue to add one alleluia for the remainder of the Easter season.
There are also differences in the calendar. Some saints on the Roman calendar are omitted entirely in the Norbertine calendar. Also, St. Norbert is celebrated on June 6 in the Roman Missal, but the Norbertines commemorate him on July 11 to ensure that their founder’s feast does not conflict with Pentecost or Corpus Christi. There are also feasts which are proper to the order—and thus texts for those feasts which are proper—including a feast which commemorates the Triumph of St. Norbert over the sacramentarian heresy of Tanchelm (which essentially denied and rejected the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist) on the third Sunday after Pentecost, as well as the celebration of the translation of St. Norbert on the fourth Sunday after Easter (which commemorates his body being moved to Prague from Magdeburg, located in modern-day Germany).
Dominican Rite
The Dominican Rite is one of the most well-known and widely practiced of the rites we are considering here. In use since the 13th century in various forms, this is another example of a rite that was exempt from Pius V’s imposition of the Roman Rite, as it had been approved for use for over 200 years.
The immediate successors of St. Dominic (d. 1221) were not pleased with the vast liturgical variety within the order, with different regions and different communities having their own particular customs, rubrics, books, etc. They wanted uniformity. This effort seems to have begun with Jordan of Saxony, the first successor of St. Dominic. By the middle of the 13th century, concerted efforts were underway. In 1251 and 1252, the use of the single missal (and other liturgical books) was decreed for the whole order, and in 1256 the final version of the Missal was produced and published.
In 1968, following the Second Vatican Council, the Dominican order officially adopted the revised Roman Missal and Divine Office, and the Dominican Rite fell into relative disuse, although it certainly never went extinct. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest and practice in this older rite.
After 1968, some proper texts and ceremonies continued to influence the Order’s use of the Roman Rite, such as for the blessing of the palms on Palm Sunday and at the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday.
What are some specific examples of elements unique to the Dominican Rite? In the low Mass, the celebrant wears the amice over his head until the beginning of Mass, and while wearing the amice in this way, the preparation of the chalice is completed, before even the prayers at the foot of the altar are said. He does not say the Introibo ad altare Dei (“I will go to the altar of God”) or Judica me Deus (“Judge me, O God”), but rather Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus (“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good”), to which the server responds Quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius (“His mercy endures forever”).
Additionally, the Confiteor is shorter in the Dominican Rite and, fittingly, invokes the name of St. Dominic. The Canon is the same as in the Roman Rite, although some of the gestures—specifically the way the arms and hands are held—are different: after the consecration, at the Unde et Memores (“Therefore, remembering”), the celebrant spreads his arms to form the shape of a cross with his entire body, rather than in the orans position as in the Roman Rite.
In a solemn Mass in the Dominican Rite, there are other unique differences. For one, the chalice is processed to the altar during the Gloria, and the deacon unfolds the corporal during the Epistle. During the singing of the Preface, the ministers are incensed. There are other differences in gesture, timing, and proper texts, as well.
Carmelite Rite
The Carmelite Rite is another that is proper to a particular religious order, with a very ancient pedigree. The Carmelite Rite, derived from the Rite of the Holy Sepulchre used by the canons of Jerusalem in the mid-12th century, was adopted by the Carmelite community after its founding around 1210, when St. Albert of Vercelli gave them their Rule.
When the Roman Rite was reformed in the 16th century, the Carmelite Rite was reformed as well. Because it had been approved for use for over 200 years, it too was one of the exempted rites that was allowed to remain in use. Although many differences remain between the Carmelite and Roman forms of the Mass, the reformation of the Carmelite Rite did bring it into much closer conformity with the Roman Rite.
Many of the details in the Carmelite Rite speak to how ancient it is, such as the absence of liturgical colors (which is such a prevalent part of today’s Roman Rite), limited use of candles (one at low Mass, none on the altar itself at High Mass), and rare usage of incense.
So, what are some of the additional differences between the Carmelite Rite and the Roman Rite? On certain particularly important feasts, the Introit is said three times, rather than once as in the Roman Rite. There is also an additional reading beyond the Epistle and the Gospel, read by an acolyte. Following the Pater noster, the choir sings Psalm 78(79) (Deus venerunt gentes (“O God, the heathen are come”)), praying for the Holy Land. Incidentally, the prayer Domine, non sum dignus (“Lord, I am not worthy”) was only introduced into the Carmelite Rite in 1568, several hundred years after the rite was developed.
There are also some unique gestures which set the Carmelite Rite apart. For one, during the Canon, the deacon fans the celebrant and the bread and wine, ostensibly to keep the flies away, although even if no flies are present the gesture is, of course, retained. Additionally, and uniquely, the celebrant does not genuflect after the consecration but gives a reverent bow.
Ambrosian Rite
The Ambrosian Rite takes its name from St. Ambrose of Milan, the great Church Father and Doctor, mentor of St. Augustine, and one of the greatest saints of the early Church. Today it is commonly used by over five million Catholics in the Archdiocese of Milan, as well as a few other dioceses in Italy and Switzerland. In fact, there are also some “Western Rite” Orthodox churches that occasionally use the Ambrosian Rite. The Western Rite Orthodox are Eastern Orthodox congregations who use modified versions of Western liturgical traditions, including the Tridentine, Mozarabic, Gallican, Ambrosian, and the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.
While it is not known for certain whether St. Ambrose actually composed this rite, he has been considered its namesake since around the eighth century, most likely because of the rite’s origins in Milan. Some liturgical scholars claim that the pedigree of this rite reaches all the way back to St. John the Apostle, via St. Polycarp and St. Irenaeus, but that is by no means certain. At any rate, it is an ancient liturgy with a rich history.
What are some of the differences between the Ambrosian and the Roman Rite? In the Roman Rite, the celebrant blesses the deacon before he goes to read the Gospel; in the Ambrosian, all the readers receive a blessing from the celebrant. The proclamation of the Gospel is followed by an antiphon in the Ambrosian Rite. There are also differences in structure, in the order of prayers, including the fact that the Rite of Peace comes before the presentation of the gifts, as does the Creed, before the prayer over the gifts. There are some differences in the First Eucharistic Prayer of the Ambrosian Rite compared to the Roman Canon, but Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV are the same in both (these Eucharistic prayers were added following the Second Vatican Council). There are also two Eucharistic prayers proper to the Ambrosian Rite, which are used mainly on Holy Thursday and Easter.
One of the more remarkable differences, one which would certainly leap out at someone attending an Ambrosian Rite liturgy who is accustomed to the Roman Rite, is the lack of the Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God”). Except in a few cases—such as at Requiem Masses—the Agnus Dei is not said.
The Kyrie eleison is intoned three times at the end of Mass, prior to the final blessing; and rather than Ite, missa est, the celebrant says, Procedamus cum pace (“Let us go forth in peace”) to which the congregation responds In nomine Christi (“In the name of Christ”).
The Ambrosian Rite has its own cycle of readings which differs from that of the Roman Rite, differences in the liturgical year (for example, Lent starts four days later, and Advent is six weeks long), as well as many proper prefaces and other texts, which we do not have the space here to delve into in detail. There are differences in liturgical colors used throughout the year, differences in how vestments are worn, different rites for Holy Week, and much more.
Rite of Braga
Braga is a metropolitan archdiocese in Portugal, with its own liturgical rite that took shape sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries. The oldest known source for the Rite of Braga is the Missal of Mateus, from the early 12th century. As with so many other rites we are looking at here, the Rite of Braga was not affected by Pius V’s bulls Quod a nobis and Quo primum, as it had been approved for use for more than 200 years. We should note that, after Pius’s decrees, the Roman Rite was increasingly used throughout the Archdiocese of Braga, and it even began to gradually influence this unique local rite.
There was a movement in the 20th century to bring the Rite of Braga closer to its original form, eliminating the influences the Roman Rite had had on it. This movement was led by Archbishop Manuel Vieira de Matos, with the approval of Pope Pius XI. The archbishop also sought to make the use of this rite obligatory throughout the Archdiocese of Braga; as a result, in 1924 a new missal was published. However, following the Second Vatican Council the Rite of Braga has fallen into relative disuse. In fact, the Rite of Braga is considered a “local use of the Roman Rite,” rather than an independent rite in itself, according to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.
Mozarabic Rite
The Mozarabic Rite has a deep history in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and is alternatively referred to as the Hispanic Rite or Visigothic Rite. Dating back to at least the sixth century during the Visigothic period in Spain, the rite has a number of unique elements that seem to have sprung from that historical context, including the fight against rampant Arianism in the region. This can be seen in the heavy use of the term “Trinity” in addressing God in prayers, compared to other rites addressing God the Father, or each person of the Trinity individually.
One of the most distinctive elements of the Mozarabic liturgy is the fraction rite, which is quite complex. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia: “The Host is first divided into two halves, then one half is divided into five and the other into four parts. Seven of these particles are arranged in the form of a cross, five, named Corporatio (Incarnation), Nativitas, Circumcisio, Apparitio (Epiphany), and Passio forming the upright part, and two, named Mors and Resurrectio, the arms. These last are arranged on either side of the Particle Nativitas with the Gloria and Regnum, placed together on one side.”
As with so many of the other rites discussed here, the Mozarabic Rite as it stands today is essentially a synthesis of the ancient rite as practiced on the Iberian Peninsula, with Roman and other elements that accrued over the centuries. In the 16th century, after hundreds of years of disuse, a conscious effort was made to revive the Mozarabic Rite and expand its use.
This rite is still celebrated today in the city of Toledo, even daily in a particular chapel in that city’s cathedral. It continues to be celebrated throughout Spain as well, and even around the world on special occasions and with special permission. It is even used by some Western Rite Orthodox churches.
In Diversity, Unity
As this examination of the differences among the Western rites has shown, the variety of liturgical traditions within the Latin Church illustrates what then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in 1998 (using the Rite of Braga as a particularly apt example): “…[T]he presence of the old liturgy does not disturb or break the unity of [the] diocese, but is rather a gift destined to build up the Body of Christ, of which we are all the servants.” In other words: unity does not require liturgical uniformity.
Cover Image Source: AB/Brummond. Mozarabic Holy Week liturgy celebrated in Toledo, Spain.
Footnotes
- For example: The Gallican Rite by Henry Jenner; The Mass of the Western Rites by Fernand Cabrol; Liturgies of the Primatial Sees by A.A. King; The Dominican Rite: History and Liturgy by A.A. King; The Ambrosian Liturgy by E.G. Cuthbert F. Atchley; and countless articles in print publications, online, encyclopedias, and more.
