Rites in the Church

Rites in the Chirch are ways to keep ecumenism. They allow the Chirch to be one yet still have distinct traditions and cultures added to the mix. The most common rite is that of the Roman Catholic Church. An example is the Maronite Catholic Church. The Maronitr Chirch, which I am a part of, practices different ceremonies for mass. For instance, there is no separate confirmation. The confirmation in the Maronite Church occurs in conjunction with baptism.

So what makes these rights different in the first place? Other than the examples given above, many of these tired stem from different beliefs after schisms. For instance, the relatively new Episcopal rite is simply a more catholic version of the episcopal belief in Protestantism. They originally had a schism from the Church but now are a part of it, and so have their own rite. Finally, many rites are separated by location. For instance, in the Maronite Church, we were separated from the Roman Catholic Church until the thirteenth century. After that, we were reunited. However, all of that seclusion means a different ceremony developed.

The final question is what keeps these rites Catholic. These rites, while they have different liturgies, still believe in all of the seven sacraments. They defend the same deposit of faith and all practice the same belief. Realistically, the only difference is that of language and liturgy. While all Catholics aren't Roman Catholic, all Catholics are Catholics.