Latin liturgical rites used within that area of the
Catholic Church where the
Latin language once dominated (the
Latin Church) were for many centuries no less numerous than the liturgical rites of the
Eastern autonomous
particular Churches. Their number is now much reduced. In the aftermath of the
Council of Trent, in 1568 and 1570
Pope Pius V suppressed the Breviaries and Missals that could not be shown to have an antiquity of at least two centuries (see
Tridentine Mass and
Roman Missal). Many local rites that remained legitimate even after this decree were abandoned voluntarily, especially in the 19th century. In the second half of the 20th century, most of the religious orders that had a distinct liturgical rite chose to adopt in its place the
Roman Rite as revised in accordance with the decrees of the
Second Vatican Council (see
Mass of Paul VI). A few such liturgical rites persist today for the celebration of Mass, since 1965-1970 in revised forms, but the distinct liturgical rites for celebrating the other sacraments have been almost completely abandoned.