Official Catholic website in Germany takes issue with the idea of Francis that the post-Vatican II liturgical books are "the sole expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite."

Catholics can celebrate Mass all over the world. It's not just the languages ​​used that differ: the Roman Rite has many forms and variants – from the most ancient to the most modern. A journey through the colorful world of the Roman Rite.

When there are debates today about various forms of the Catholic Mass, they usually revolve around the role of the "Old Mass" – that is, the liturgy in the form of the books that were in force in 1962. This contrasts with the form celebrated since the liturgical reform following the Second Vatican Council, which is now the norm in the Western Church, i.e., where the Roman Rite is celebrated.

Pope Benedict XVI (2005–2013) referred to these two variants as the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Roman Rite: the ordinary form is that according to the 1970 Missal, and the extraordinary form is the earlier form. Pope Francis has dispelled this image of one rite in two forms. The programmatic beginning of the regulations of the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes, with which he severely restricted the celebration of the "Old Mass," is this sentence as Article 1: "The liturgical books promulgated by the holy Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, in accordance with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council, are the sole expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite."

This clear statement that there is only one expression of the Roman Rite, as well as the distinction between exactly two forms, obscures the fact that the Roman Rite is far more diverse—some long-standing, some only recently.

The Council of Trent sets the course

The "Old Mass" is often referred to as the "Tridentine Mass." This refers to the Council of Trent (1545–1563), following which a unified missal was enacted in 1570. Thus, the style of celebrating the Mass, which originated from the Roman liturgy, became the standard throughout the Western Church. Local peculiarities were largely abolished if they had not already existed for several centuries: Until then, there were many forms and families of the Catholic Mass – some for larger cultural areas, some in individual dioceses and religious orders.

The liturgical reform following the Second Vatican Council brought a new impetus towards standardization. In particular, remaining special order liturgies, such as those of the Cistercians and Dominicans, have not been celebrated since then, and the remaining regional variants have also partly fallen out of use, and partly have been brought closer to the regular Roman rite.

Old Rites in religious orders and regions

The remaining regional variants with some significance are the Ambrosian Rite in Milan and Lugano, the Mozarabic Rite in Spain, and - with very little distribution - the Old Slavonic or Glagolitic custom in Dalmatia and Istria and the Rite of Braga.   There is also the Carthusian Rite as a remaining religious liturgy.

The term "Rite" is common, but strictly speaking it is not correct, as these are variants of the Roman Rite, not Rites of their own, as is the case with the Eastern Church Rites.   A more accurate, albeit less common, term would be "usus", i.e.   "custom".

Ambrosian Rite

The Ambrosian Rite is probably the most widespread variant today: this form, which is attributed to St Ambrose of Milan, is still celebrated in the ecclesiastical province of Milan and in a few dozen parishes in the Swiss diocese of Lugano.   As early as the Carolingian period, in the eighth century, the Rite was brought closer to the Roman one.   The Council of Trent confirmed the Rite, which had gained its form through both Gallic and Oriental influences, having previously been marginalised - even by Charlemagne himself: For the self-confident Milanese, their own Rite was a symbol in the struggle against Roman domination.

The most well-known feature is probably the fact that the church year differs in the Ambrosian Rite: the Ambrosian Advent lasts six weeks instead of four, and Lent, with its liturgical colour of black, begins on the Sunday after Ash Wednesday.   The service itself is characterised by Ambrosian chant, which is more varied than Gregorian chant and sounds softer and wavelike due to the smaller pitches.   The greeting of peace is exchanged before the Eucharist, the Credo follows after the offertory, instead of the constant Agnus Dei, there are different chants for the breaking of bread depending on the day.

Mozarabic Rite

The Mozarabic Rite, also known as the Toledan Rite or - after Isidore of Seville - the Isidorian Rite, is only celebrated in a few places in Spain today.   It goes back to the Visigoths of the second half of the first millennium.   The Rite continued to be practised during the reign of the Muslim Moors; the term "Mozarabic" dates back to this time.   In the eleventh century, the Mozarabic Rite was supplanted by the Roman Rite at the behest of the popes - not without resistance: in Toledo, the Mozarabic population refused to accept the Roman Rite after the expulsion of the Moors.

Six parishes in Toledo received papal permission to retain their form.   The Council of Trent later confirmed the Mozarabic Rite.   Today, services are still celebrated in this form, particularly in the chapel in Toledo Cathedral, which was specially set up for the Mozarabic Rite, as well as in several parish churches, services on special feast days and the Benedictine abbeys of Santa Maria de Montserrat and Santo Domingo de Silos.

The Mozarabic Rite is said to go back to the church father Isidore of Seville.

The Mozarabic Rite differs from the regular Roman Rite primarily in the order of individual parts of the Mass.   For example, the Our Father is prayed before the consecration and the Credo is part of the High Prayer.   There is also a separate festal calendar and a larger number of readings from the First Testament.   In 1991, a renewed "Missale Hispano-Mozarabicum" was drawn up by the Archbishop of Toledo and the Spanish Bishops' Conference.

Old Slavonic Rite and Rite of Braga

The Old Slavonic Rite, also known as Glagolitic after the script developed by the Slavic apostles Cyril and Methodius, is rarely celebrated today.   Its original liturgical language is Old Slavonic, but today it is also celebrated in Croatian.   The existence of this form was one reason why the liturgical reforms after the Tridentine Council did not stipulate Latin as the only authorised liturgical language, and even at the Second Vatican Council, the then Auxiliary Bishop of Split, Frane Franić, pointed out during the preparatory work for the Liturgy Constitution that the Glagolitic Rite could be a model for celebrating Mass in a language understood by the people.   This is also the main difference between this form - unlike the Mozarabic and Ambrosian Rites, there is no different order of service or calendar of feasts.   Now that the vernacular has generally been incorporated into the Roman Rite, this variant therefore does not differ as much from the usual Mass as it did at the time when Latin was the primary liturgical language of the West.

The Rite of Braga, which is celebrated in the Portuguese Archdiocese and was confirmed by the Tridentine Council, is just as insignificant.   It developed under Gallic influences in the eleventh to thirteenth centuries.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a missal for this Rite was published and, with the support of Pope Pius XI, attempts were made to make it more widespread in the Archdiocese of Braga.   However, it has hardly been celebrated since the Second Vatican Council at the latest.   A characteristic of this form is the beginning of the Mass with the Hail Mary and the Marian hymn "Sub tuum praesidium" at the end.

The Carthusian Rite

Of the various liturgies of the order, only the Carthusian Rite remained.   Even after the liturgical reform in the twentieth century, the monks retained their own forms, albeit with adaptations.   The Canon of the Mass is prayed silently by the celebrant.   He spreads out his arms so that his body forms a cross.   During the consecration, the monks lie down on the floor for the prostration as in the ordination of priests.   The liturgical calendar is very compact and contains fewer feasts and days commemorating saints.   Before or after Mass with the whole convent, the individual monks, who are priests, celebrate a silent individual Mass themselves together with an unordained monk in one of the chapels scattered around the monastery grounds.

Inculturated forms of the Mass

In the aftermath of the Council, liturgical diversity was not only reduced through standardisation.   There were also new beginnings and differentiations.   With regard to the Eastern Churches, the Council Fathers encouraged a return to the traditional Rites in the decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum (1964), which had often been Latinised, i.e.   brought closer to the Roman Rite, either voluntarily or by force over the centuries.

However, the Second Vatican Council was also a liturgical awakening for the Latin Church.   The Council was the first truly international council in which Council Fathers from the entire world church, not just from Europe and Italy in particular, made up a substantial proportion of the participants.   Inculturation, i.e.   the translation of the message of the Gospel into the various forms of cultural expression, was a fundamental idea of the Council, even if the term itself does not appear in the Council documents.

The Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (1965) states that the Church has learnt from the beginning of its history to "proclaim the message of Christ in the imagination and language of different peoples".   In this way, the ability to "proclaim the message of Christ in its own way" can be developed in every nation and the "exchange between the Church and the various national cultures can be promoted".   In the liturgy constitution "Sacrosanctum Concilium", there is a separate section with "Rules for adapting to the peculiarities and traditions of peoples".   It states that, while maintaining unity, "room should be left for legitimate diversity and adaptation to the various communities, regions and peoples, especially in the missions".   This included the revision of the liturgical books.

This provided a basis for taking regional cultural elements into account in the liturgy.   This idea of inculturation reached its first climax in 1988 with the "Roman Rite of Mass for the Dioceses of Zaire", which was enacted by Pope John Paul II (1978-2005): a Western liturgy with elements of the culture of Central Africa.   Since then, several other regional Mass variants have been designed, trialled and, in some cases, already approved.

Zairian Rite of Mass

In today's Democratic Republic of Congo, the call for inculturation after the Second Vatican Council fell on receptive ears.   In addition to the general ecclesiastical situation, there was the political one: the President of Zaire, Mobutu Sese Seko, pursued a policy of cultural "Zairisation" after the end of the Belgian colonial regime.   The country's Catholic bishops thus took the path of liturgical inculturation particularly far.   The first considerations were made in the 1960s and the first drafts were produced in the 1970s, until the Congolese Rite of Mass was finally enacted in 1988.

The basic structure of this Rite is the same as in the regular Roman Rite, but the opening Rite is extended.   The lector in particular has a greater role, and saints and ancestors are also invoked.   As in older Mass variants, the greeting of peace before the Eucharist is at the end of the liturgy of the word.   Dancing, singing and processions play an important role.

The Zairian Rite became known to a wider public after Pope Francis (2013-2025) celebrated it in St Peter's Basilica in 2022 (cover photo).   He had previously praised this form as a model for liturgical inculturation: the Congolese Rite could serve as an "example and model for other cultures", he said in 2020.

Australia, Mexico and Amazonia

The question of a separate Rite for the South American region played a major role at the Amazon Synod.    The consultations have not yet come to a conclusion.   Curia Cardinal Kurt Koch was sceptical about drafting a Rite: "I am convinced that Rites are not created at a desk, but through organic growth."

Nevertheless, there are now permitted liturgical variants in South America: in 2024, the Vatican authorised special liturgical features for the Mexican diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas.   Ritual dances are now permitted at various points in the service, including during the offertory and thanksgiving after communion.   A new liturgical service will be introduced for lay people, who will be responsible for the incense at Mass in line with indigenous traditions.   The lay people chosen for this will be selected from the congregation in a spiritual process and appointed by the bishop.   Lay people are also given the opportunity to lead prayers at several points during the Mass in order to better involve the faithful in the celebration of the Mass.   In addition to the translation into Tzeltal, a Mayan language, the Spanish-language Mass liturgy was also adapted for different ethnic groups.

In 2024, the Australian bishops also adopted a Rite for a Mass celebration with elements of the culture of indigenous Australians, the "Land of the Holy Spirit" Mass.   Masses with traditional elements and in the languages of the indigenous people have been celebrated in Western Australia for over 50 years: they were authorised "ad experimentum" by the then Bishop of Broome as early as 1973.   This celebration is now to be officially recognised on a permanent basis, but the necessary approval from the Vatican is still pending.

The Mass is celebrated in various local languages and originates from Bidyadanga in the Kimberley region, hence it is also known as Missa Bidyadanga and Missa Kimberley.   The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council describes the liturgy as a "distinctive Mass that beautifully blends Catholic tradition with Aboriginal culture, creating a unique celebration of faith that has served the diocese for over five decades".   He said the Mass is not just a liturgical practice, but "a witness to the deep-rooted connection between our faith and the rich culture of Native peoples."

Anglican-Catholic Masses

Pope John Paul II had already made it possible for ex-Anglicans to establish personal parishes in 1980, in which the liturgy of the Anglican tradition can be celebrated in the Catholic Church.   In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI extended this possibility even further by establishing personal ordinariates.   The Anglican personal ordinariates are comparable to dioceses.   In the two personal ordinariates in Great Britain and Australia, the liturgy is celebrated according to the "Divine Worship" missal, which is based on Anglican liturgical texts and Rites of the "High Church", i.e.   the branch of Anglicanism that is orientated towards the liturgy and understanding of the sacraments of the early church and not the Reformation.

The elevated and archaic English language is particularly striking - for example, God is addressed as "thou" instead of "you", and the direction of the celebration is ad orientem, as in the "Old Mass" and in the liturgy of the Anglican "High Church", i.e.   with the back to the people, without a popular altar.

Each of these variants of the Roman Rite, like the Rites of the Eastern Catholic Churches, is a legitimate and valid form of the Catholic celebration of the Eucharist.   Every Catholic can attend and celebrate services in these forms without any further requirements.   In this way, the diversity of the Church becomes clear in the variety of liturgical rites and customs.   The Church does not wish, as the Liturgy Constitution states, "to make a rigid uniformity of form compulsory, even in her worship".   Rather, it "cherishes and promotes the splendid spiritual heritage of the various tribes and peoples; what is not indissolubly interwoven with superstition and error in the customs of the peoples, she weighs favourably, and if she can, she seeks to preserve it fully".

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