The Rite And Degrees Of Feasts.

Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (1945 Edition),
by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., of the Abbey Of Saint Andre.
Originally published by The E. H. Lohmann Co.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications, July, 1999.
www.libers.com

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

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(Wikimedia Commons)

The Feasts kept on the days of the year are not all equal in importance and Solemnity. The Church has established their Rank by a special Rite, and by different Degrees.

The Rite of a Feast consists in the form which constitutes it. There are three principal Rites:

1.      A Double Rite, on which days the Antiphons are Doubled by repeating the whole of them before and after each Psalm of Vespers. There is only one Collect at Masses of this Rite (provided there is no Commemoration to be made of one or more Saints).

2.      A Semi-Double Rite, on which only the first words of the Antiphons are said before the Psalms. The whole of them is said after the Psalms. There are always three Collects at Masses of this Rite.

3.      A Simple Rite.

The Degrees of a Feast consist in the greater or less Solemnity with which they are Celebrated. They are thus distinguished:

Doubles of The First-Class;

Doubles of The Second-Class;

Greater-Doubles;

Ordinary Doubles;

Semi-Doubles;

Simples.

All Souls' Day (2 November) excludes Feasts which occur below the Rank of First-Class, and transferred Feasts of any Rank.