The Ambrosian Liturgy

The Ambrosian, or Milanese, liturgy shared common features with both Western and Eastern rites and served as a link between them. A central feature of the Ambrosian liturgy is its Christocentric nature, reflecting an ongoing struggle with Arian influence. Never suppressed by ecclesiastical authorities, the Ambrosian liturgy continues in use today. Though usually associated with the metropolitan see once occupied by Saint Ambrose (d. 397), the Ambrosian rite includes in addition to the liturgy celebrated in the city of Milan (i. e. , the Milanese liturgy), the liturgy of several other dioceses of Northern Italy (Bergamo, Ticino, Novara, Vercelli, etc. ), and to a certain extent, the liturgy of Aquileia. Unlike the other non-Roman Western rites, the Ambrosian liturgy was never officially suppressed by emperor or pope. In spite of Carolingian and later attempts to "Romanize" everywhere, the Ambrosian liturgy survived with numerous medieval accretions (Roman and non-Roman), but underwe…