The
Roman Rite no longer distinguishes different classes of ferias (weekdays) as in the 1960
Code of Rubrics of
Pope John XXIII, but it attributes different positions to them in
ranking liturgical days. In the
Table of Liturgical Days according to their order of precedence, attached to the
Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar,
Ash Wednesday and weekdays of
Holy Week from Monday up to and including Thursday are outranked only by the
Paschal Triduum, the four
solemnities of Christmas,
Epiphany,
Ascension and
Pentecost, and the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter. Weekdays of Advent from 17 December up to and including 24 December and weekdays of Lent rank above
memorials. Other liturgical weekdays (ferias) come last in the ranking. The Code of Rubrics of 1960 introduced a newly invented division of ferias into four classes: • First-class ferias, outranking all feasts: Ash Wednesday and all the weekdays of Holy Week; • Second-class ferias, outranking local second-class feasts and, if impeded, requiring to be
commemorated: ferias of Advent from 17 December to 23 December, and
Ember Days of Advent, Lent and September; • Third-class ferias: ferias in Lent from Thursday after Ash Wednesday to Saturday before the Second Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) except Ember Days (these outranked third-class feasts), and ferias in Advent up to 16 December except Ember Days (these were outranked by third-class feasts); • Fourth-class ferias: all other ferias (weekday liturgies). Before 1960, the Roman Rite knew a simpler distinction between major and minor ferias. The major ferias were those of Advent and Lent, the Ember days, and the Monday of
Rogation week. These had to be
commemorated even on the highest feasts. All the others were minor ferias (liturgical weekdays). In addition, the major ferias of Ash Wednesday and Holy Week were privileged: these liturgies were to be celebrated no matter what feast happened to occur on those days. == See also ==