The Aquileian Rite was a particular liturgical tradition of the

Patriarchate of Aquileia The Patriarchate of Aquileia was an episcopal see in northeastern Italy, centred on the ancient city of Aquileia situated at the head of the Adriatic, on what is now the Italian seacoast. For many centuries it played an important part in histo ...

and hence called the ''ritus patriarchinus.'' It was effectively replaced by the

Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the '' sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while d ...

by the beginning of the seventeenth century, although elements of it survived in St. Mark's Basilica in Venice until 1807.

History

The See of Aquileia under Bishop Macedonius broke communion with Rome in the

Schism of the Three Chapters The Schism of the Three Chapters was a schism that affected Chalcedonian Christianity in Northern Italy lasting from 553 to 698 AD, although the area out of communion with Rome contracted throughout that time. It was part of a larger Three-Chapter C ...

in 553 and became a schismatical patriarchate, a situation which lasted until the Council of Pavia in 698. A number of allusions tell us that Aquileia and certain of its suffragan sees had a special rite (generally called the ''ritus patriarchinus'' "patriarchine rite"); but they do not give us any clear indication as to what this rite was. There are many theories, especially as to the Aquileian Rite's relation to the rites of Milan, Ravenna, and the fragments in St. Ambrose of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...

's ''De sacramentis'', IV, 4–6. Buchwald defends the view that the Eucharistic prayer in ''De sacramentis'' is actually Aquileian. Aquileia is supposed to have adopted it from

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandr ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

, under whose influence she stood according to the

synod of Aquileia of 381 The Council of Aquileia in 381 AD was a church synod which was part of the struggle between Arian and orthodox ideas in Christianity. It was one of five councils of Aquileia. The council was held in September 381 AD and summoned by Gratian, the ...

. The thesis adds that Rome then took her Canon from Aquileia around the fifth century. If this be true, Aquileia would be the portal by which the Roman Canon came to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

. Baumstark, meanwhile, ascribes ''De sacramentis'' to bishopric of

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the ca ...

agreeing that it came originally from

and that Aquileia used the same rite. He contends that the ''ritus patriarchinus'' is the

Rite of the Exarchate Rite may refer to: * Ritual, an established ceremonious act * Rite of passage, a ceremonious act associated with social transition Religion * Rite (Christianity), a sacred ritual or liturgical tradition in various Christian denominations * C ...

of Ravenna. From the time of the formation of separate rites in the fourth century, Aquileia would have certainly had its own use. This use was not the same as that of Rome, but was probably one more variant of the large group of Western Rites, connected by (Eastern?) origin, which we call Gallican. It was probably really related to the old

Milanese Rite The Ambrosian Rite is a Catholic Western liturgical rite, named after Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan in the fourth century, which differs from the Roman Rite. It is used by some five million Catholics in the greater part of the Archdiocese of ...

and perhaps still more to that of Ravenna.

Fourth Century

Rufinus of Aquileia Tyrannius Rufinus, also called Rufinus of Aquileia (''Rufinus Aquileiensis'') or Rufinus of Concordia (344/345–411), anglicized as Tyrann Rufine, was a monk, historian, and theologian. He is best known as a translator of Greek patristic materi ...

's commentary on the Creed provides the baptismal creed of Aquileia which differs in some details from the Roman or Apostles' Creed. He also hints at some local liturgical practices such as making a small sign of the cross on one's forehead at the words " believein the resurrection of this flesh." Related to this, De Rubeis, writing in the eighteenth century notes that during the

Angelus The Angelus (; Latin for "angel") is a Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation of Christ. As with many Catholic prayers, the name ''Angelus'' is derived from its incipit—the first few words of the text: ("The Angel of the Lord ...

there was a custom within the territory of the former

to touch one's chest when pronouncing the words, "And the Word was made flesh (''Et Verbum caro factum est''.) indicating that Jesus Christ assumed a human nature so that "this" flesh might share in His divinity.

Chromatius of Aquileia Saint Chromatius (died 406/407 AD) was a bishop of Aquileia. He was probably born at Aquileia, and grew up there.capitulare of the eighth century added by a Lombard hand to the "Codex Richdigeranus" of the sixth century. Germain Morin and

H. F. Haase H is the eighth letter of the Latin alphabet. H may also refer to: Musical symbols * H number, Harry Halbreich reference mechanism for music by Honegger and Martinů * H, B (musical note) * H, B major People * H. (noble) (died after 12 ...

, who edited the Codex, show reason to suppose that this ''capitulare'' represents the use of Aquileia. The capitulare provides information about the Aquileian liturgical Calendar for the time it covers (Advent to June). Advent had five Sundays; St. Stephen's Day is 27 December, as in the Rites of Jerusalem-Antioch and their descendants. There is no Septuagesima; two Sundays (Sexagesima and Quinquagesima) prepare for Lent. The "tradition of the symbol" is on the Sunday before Easter. It and Maundy Thursday have each two Masses, as in the

Gallican Rite The Gallican Rite is a historical version of Christian liturgy and other ritual practices in Western Christianity. It is not a single rite but a family of rites within the Latin Church, which comprised the majority use of most of Western Christ ...

s. There is a "Mid- Pentecost" feast, as in many Eastern Rites. We have then many indications of the divergence from Rome; this fragment of a calendar points to Gallican usages mixed with some from the East. If we accept the most probable theory that the Gallican Rite is Eastern (Antiochene) in origin, we may consider the local Aquileian Use as one more variant of the widespread Gallican family. For the rest we are reduced to mere conjecture about this liturgy. Ebner has published a variant of the present ''Hanc igitur'' of the Roman Canon, in litany form, attributed to Paulinus of Aquileia (787-802). Walafrid Strabo (later ninth century) mentions "hymns" composed by Paulinus of Aquileia and used by him "in private Masses at the offering of the sacrifice." De Rubeis in his ''De sacris foroiuliensium ritibus'' printed part of the Aquileian scrutiny of catechumens, of the ninth century. This is practically that of the contemporary Roman Ordines; so the

was already replacing the other one. In the later Middle Ages we hear of the ''ritus patriarchinus'' yielding steadily to the

High Middle Ages

It seems that the Rite of Aquileia had even been used in Venice since in 1250 Peter IV, Bishop of Castello petitioned the Pope for permission to adopt the Roman Rite. In 1308 and again in 1418 attempts were made to restore the Aquileian Use at

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

. But in 1456 Pope

Callistus III Pope Callixtus III ( it, Callisto III, va, Calixt III, es, Calixto III; 31 December 1378 – 6 August 1458), born Alfonso de Borgia ( va, Alfons de Borja), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 April 1455 to his ...

granted permission to the newly created

Patriarch of Venice The Patriarch of Venice ( la, Patriarcha Venetiarum; it, Patriarca di Venezia) is the ordinary bishop of the Archdiocese of Venice. The bishop is one of the few patriarchs in the Latin Church of the Catholic Church (currently three other Latin b ...

to follow Roman liturgical practice.

Sixteenth Century

After the

Council of Trent The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described ...

and

Pope Pius V Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...

's Missal (1570) one after another of the cities which had kept the Aquileian Use conformed to Rome:

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into pr ...

in 1586,

Udine Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with ...

in 1596.

Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label=Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps has m ...

alone made an effort to keep the old local use. In 1565 and 1579 diocesan synods still insisted on this. But in 1597 Pope

Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born ...

insisted on Roman Use here too. Only

St Mark's Basilica The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark ( it, Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco), commonly known as St Mark's Basilica ( it, Basilica di San Marco; vec, Baxéłega de San Marco), is the cathedral church of the Catholic Pa ...

, still the chapel of the

Doge A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as "crowned republics". Etymology The ...

and not yet cathedral of Venice, kept certain local peculiarities of ritual which apparently descended from the "ritus patriarchinus" until the fall of the Republic in 1807.M&A – Fe1 article
/ref> But long before its final disappearance, the Aquileian Rite in these local forms was already so romanized that little of its original character was left.

Francis Bonomio Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places *Rural Mu ...

Bishop of Vercelli The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vercelli (in Latin, ''Archidioecesis Vercellensis'') is a Latin rite Metropolitan see in northern Italy, one of the two archdioceses which, together with their suffragan dioceses, form the ecclesiastical region ...

, who went to Como in 1579 to persuade its clergy to adopt the

Roman Breviary The Roman Breviary (Latin: ''Breviarium Romanum'') is a breviary of the Roman Rite in the Catholic Church. A liturgical book, it contains public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bis ...

, says that the local rite was almost the same as that of Rome "except in the order of some Sundays, and the feast of the Holy Trinity, which is transferred to another time". So the ''Missale pro s. aquileyensis ecclesiae ritu'', printed at Augsburg in 1494, breviaries and sacramentaries (rituals) printed for Aquileia, Venice and Como in the fifteenth century, although still bearing the name of the "ritus patriarchinus" (or "ritus patriarchalis"), are hardly more than local varieties of the Roman Rite.

References

Sources

* Althan, ''Iter liturgicum foroiuliense'' (Rome, 1749) * Baumstark, ''Liturgia romana'', pp. 170–73 * Bona, ''Rerum litugicarum'', II, ed. SALA (Turin, 1747), Appendix: ''De ritu antiquo Aquilejensis patriarchino nuncupato'' * Burn, ''Nicetas of Remesiana'' (Cambridge, 1905); * De Rubeis, ''Monumenta ecclesiae Aquilejensis'' (Strasburg, 1740) * Dichlich, ''Rito veneto antico detto Patriarchino'' (Venice, 1823) * Dom de Puniet, '"L'année liturgique à Aquilée" in ''Revue bénédictine'', 1902, p. 1 * Ebner, ''The Mass'' (London, 1912) * Le Brun, ''Ancien rite d'Aquilee appele le Patriarchin'' in his ''Explication de la messe'', III (Paris, 1777), 220 sqq. {{Latin Church footer Latin liturgical rites Aquileia