Good Friday

===Services on the day===
The [[Roman Rite]] has no celebration of [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] between the [[Mass of the Lord's Supper]] on Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) evening and the [[Easter Vigil]] unless a special exemption is granted for rare solemn or grave occasions by the [[Holy See|Vatican]] or the [[Ordinary (officer)|local bishop]]. The only [[sacrament]]s celebrated during this time are [[Baptism]] (for those in danger of death), [[Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church)|Penance]], and [[Anointing of the Sick]].<ref>Roman Missal: Good Friday, 1.</ref> While there is no celebration of the Eucharist, it is distributed to the faithful only in the '''Celebration of the Passion of the Lord''', but can also be taken at any hour to the sick who are unable to attend this celebration.<ref>The Holy Week Missal, ''Friday of the Passion of the Lord'' No. 2</ref> 

The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord takes place in the afternoon, ideally at three o'clock; however, for pastoral reasons (especially in countries where Good Friday is not a public holiday), it is permissible to celebrate the liturgy earlier,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/documentText/Index/2/SubIndex/38/ContentIndex/325/Start/319|title=V. Good Friday|website=The Catholic Liturgical Library|access-date=28 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123115108/http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/documentText/Index/2/SubIndex/38/ContentIndex/325/Start/319|archive-date=23 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> even shortly after midday, or at a later hour.<ref>The Holy Week Missal, ''Friday of the Passion of the Lord'' No. 4</ref> The celebration consists of three parts: the liturgy of the word, the adoration of the cross, and the Holy communion.<ref>The Holy Week Missal, ''Friday of the Passion of the Lord'' No. 4</ref> The altar is bare, without cross, candlesticks and [[altar cloth]]s.<ref>The Holy Week Missal, ''Friday of the Passion of the Lord'' No. 3</ref> It is also customary to empty the [[holy water]] [[holy water font|fonts]] in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/LawText/Index/6/LawIndex/46|title=Removing Holy Water During Lent. Letter of the Congregation for Divine Worship|date=14 March 2003|access-date=21 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419021227/http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/LawText/Index/6/LawIndex/46|archive-date=19 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Traditionally, no bells are rung on Good Friday or Holy Saturday until the Easter Vigil.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.catholic.org/lent/friday.php|title= Good Friday – Easter/Lent|website= Catholic Online|date= 12 January 2018|access-date= 12 January 2018|archive-date= 6 September 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210906014513/https://www.catholic.org/lent/friday.php|url-status= live}}</ref>

The [[liturgical colour]] of the vestments used is red.<ref>The Holy Week Missal, ''Friday of the Passion of the Lord'' No. 5</ref> Before 1970, vestments were black except for the Communion part of the rite when violet was used.<ref>[http://www.musicasacra.com/pdf/missale62.pdf 1962 edition of the Roman Missal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080326145016/http://www.musicasacra.com/pdf/missale62.pdf |date=26 March 2008 }}.</ref> If a bishop or [[abbot]] celebrates, he wears a plain [[mitre]] ''(mitra simplex)''.<ref>''Caeremoniale Episcoporum'', 315.</ref> Before the reforms of the Holy Week liturgies in 1955, black was used throughout.

The [[Vespers]] of Good Friday are only prayed by those who could not attend the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord.<ref>''The General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours'', No. 209</ref>