Jus novum (c. 1140-1563) Jus novissimum (c. 1563-1918) Jus codicis (1918-present) Other Sacraments Sacramentals Sacred places Sacred times Supra-diocesan/eparchal structures Particular churches Juridic persons Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law Clerics Office Juridic and physical persons Associations of the faithful Pars dynamica (trial procedure) Canonization Election of the Roman Pontiff Academic degrees Journals and Professional Societies Faculties of canon law Canonists Institute of consecrated life Society of apostolic life The ranking of liturgical days in the Roman Rite is a regulation for the liturgy of the Roman Catholic church.
The five basic ranks for the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, in descending order of importance, are as follows: All holy days of obligation on a global level are also solemnities; however, not all solemnities are holy days of obligation.
On a local level, the reverse is also possible, e.g., in Germany the (global) feast of St. Stephen (26 December) is a holy day of obligation, without being raised to solemnity.
The ranking of feast days of saints and of Christian mysteries such as the Ascension of the Lord, which had grown from an original division between doubles and simples.
It is this form that was authorized to use in the motu proprio Summorum pontificum; for those who follow this use, the decree Cum sanctissima by the CDF in 2020 in effect created a new class of feasts: while most feasts of the III class can now, on a voluntary basis, be replaced by the celebration of newer saints, a special number of important ones cannot, and these in turn can be celebrated in Lent and Passiontide again (which in 1955/60 had been forbidden for III class feasts).
[9] A division of the Sundays into major and minor ones - corresponding to what Pope John XXIII's Code of Rubrics would call I and II class - was very ancient.
- The surprising fact that Eastertide Sundays were, apart from the first, not ranked as major has probably the reason that the abstention of having saints-feasts was seen as a sign of a penitential season.)
As far as the ranks are concerned, there was rather little change in the liturgy reform: The Sundays of Shrovetide fell away, though, and as in 1955-1960 Advent II would again outrank the Immaculate Conception.
- Only Ash Wednesday and the days of Holy Week were privileged, so that their office must be taken, no matter what feast might occur.
- The 2020 decree Cum sanctissima, as mentioned above, allowed some third-class feasts to be celebrated in Lent again on a voluntary basis.
As far as the ranking is concerned, the division of Pope John XXIII, however, remains essentially unchanged.
Most feasts of the Apostles also had vigils, namely Saints Andrew, Thomas, James, Simon and Jude.
[25] The days within the Easter and Pentecost octaves were raised to double rite, had precedence over all feasts, and did not admit commemorations.