Liturgical rites

Differing liturgical traditions, or rites, exist throughout the universal Church, reflecting historical and cultural diversity rather than a difference in beliefs.The most commonly used liturgy is the Latin rite (which is used in the Roman Catholic Church, but not in the Eastern Catholic Churches). Presently, this rite exists in two forms: the ordinary form (known as the Novus Ordo Mass, i.e., the 1969 Mass of Pope Paul VI, and celebrated primarily in the vernacular, i.e., the language of the people) and the extraordinary form (known as the Tridentine or Latin Mass standardized by Pope Pius V after the Council of Trent).In 1980, Pope John Paul II issued a Pastoral Provision which allows members of the Episcopal Church (the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion) to retain many aspects of Anglican liturgical rites as a variation of the Latin rite when they join the Catholic Church. Such "Anglican Use" parishes exist only in the United States. Other Western rites include the Ambrosian Rite and the Mozarabic Rite.

The Eastern Catholic Churches refer to the Eucharistic celebration as the Divine Liturgy. Each of the Eastern Catholic Churches uses one of the following Eastern rites: the Byzantine rite, Alexandrian or Coptic rite, Syriac rite, Armenian rite, Maronite rite, and Chaldean rite.

The Roman Catholic Church and the various Eastern Catholic Churches each follow a liturgical year — an annual calendar — which sets aside certain days and seasons to celebrate key events in the life of Jesus. Advent, Christmas and the Epiphany celebrate his expected coming, birth and manifestation. Lent is the period of purification and penance that ends during Holy Week with the Easter Triduum. These days recall Jesus' last supper with his disciples, death on the cross, burial and resurrection. The feast of the Ascension of Jesus is followed by Pentecost which recalls the account of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' disciples.

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