The Divine Liturgy of Addai and Mari belongs to the Chaldean liturgical family. Saint Addai (disciple of Saint Thomas the Apostle) and Saint Mari (a disciple of Saint Addai) are credited with having written it. The Divine Liturgy of Addai and Mari is one of the oldest Eucharistic prayers in the Catholic Church.

The Eucharistic Liturgy has three forms: the most solemn form known as the Raza, the solemn and the simple form.

One of the special features of the Eucharist Prayer is the presence of four long prayers known as the Gehanta, which are, according to many Eucharistic scholars, the closest forms of prayer to the Jewish Prayers over the meals.

In its pure form, it includes an Epiclesis but does not include the Words of Institution. This has raised ecumenical concerns, since the Roman Catholic Church has traditionally considered the Words of Institution to be essential to the validity of the sacred mystery. Nevertheless, the Roman

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Though this decision by the Roman Catholic Church is not irreformable and is not binding on Catholics, its ecumenical importance should not be underestimated. Clearly there are some circumstances in which the Church can accept an Epiclesis in place of the Words of Institution.