πάσχα
Paschal Mystery
PAS-kul
Christ's Passion, death, Resurrection and Ascension, taken together as the one saving event the whole liturgy celebrates.
Passover
“Paschal” comes from Pascha, the Greek and Latin word for Passover. The Paschal Mystery is Christ's passing over from death to life — his Passion, death, Resurrection and glorious Ascension — by which he destroyed death and restored life. Every celebration of the Mass and every sacrament makes this one event present, which is why the Catechism calls it the centre of the Church's liturgy. The Easter Triduum celebrates it in full.
Councils
Where the Church settled or debated this. Follow a council to read our article on it, or the decrees themselves.
- 1962–1965Second Vatican Councilthe decrees
Sources checked 29 September 2026