the- empire was distressed, or after some victory, used
constantly to order processions, for several days togeth- er, to he made to the temples. |,, beg the assistance of 01 to return them thanks. Among the .lews.
processions were introduced for public prayers when the faithful people went in order to implore the divine help (Josh, vi, 16; 2 Sam. vi, 15; Ezra ii, 12 80; l Kings
viii, l.'i; N'tunli. \. 33 36), with a form at setting out
and when baiting; or when rendering thanks to God (2 Chron. -\\. 21, '.'7. 28; Matt, xxi, 9). Certain proces- sions around the altar were (ami still are to a certain extent) usual on the Feast of Tabernacles; and from them the Mohammedans have adopted their mode of encompassing the sanctuary seven times at Mecca I (q. v.). Processions form a prominent pan ofthe Bud-
dliist worship. Sec Pbo< I SSIOX.
' In the Christian Church the practice was early in- troduced and has maintained itself to this day among the Romanists. In the earliest ecclesiastical phraseol- ogy the word processio denotes merely the act of fre- quenting o religious assembly, and taking pari in public worship. It is distinguished from private offices of de- votion, and includes the idea of social worship, but without any additional idea of public ceremony, pomp, or the like. Procedi re then meant to go to church, and is, in short, s\ nonymous with sacris interesse, sacra fre- qut ntart . This was the meaning given to the word by Tertullian (Ad Uxor. lib. ii, c. 4) and Jerome (Com- mentor, in lip. 1 ad Cor. c. 11). In many canons and other ecclesiastical writings we also find the word pro- cession, without any explanation or addili used in the
sense of a religious assembly (conventus et coetus populi in ecclesia). The < J reek word avvaZic, ( as well as aw ayioyi). auXkoyog, conf. Suiceri Thesaur.) is translated sometimes by collecta, sometimes by conventus, and sometimes by processio. When Christian worship be- gan to be conducted openly, and churches were publicly frequented, the meaning ofthe word processio was ex- actly equivalent to our term church-going. Alter the 4th century, especially in later mediaeval times, the word was applied to processions usual at lum rals, mar-
riages, baptisms, as well as to the lh f communicants
at the Lord's Supper. Processions at festivals ami on other occasions were, in course of lime, quite common. Laws to protect such processions from interruption were passed, and any persons found guilty of disturbing them were subject to severe punishment. The first proces- sions mentioned in ecclesiastical history are those set on foot at Constantinople, in the time of Chrysosfom. The Arians of that, city being forced to hold their meetings without the town, went thither night and morning, singing anthems. Chrysostom, to prevent their per- verting the Catholics, adopted counter -processions, in which the clergy and people marched by night, singing hymns, and carrying crosses and torches From this period the custom of processions was introduced both into the Eastern and Western churches (Chrysost, Or. contr.lud.etthealr.; Basil,/./). ■Jo7.al.ti.'!; Ambrose, lip. 40 ad Theodos.n. 11: Augustine, l>< Civ, Dei, i, 22, c.8; Putin. Hist. Eccl. i. 2, c. 33 ). Even during the p. rse- cutions ofthe emperors there were al least some funeral processions (.4c/. S. Cypr. ap. Pom. Act-, S. Bonifac). Various ceremonies were observed, according to the
objects lor which these processions were instituted, the spirit ofthe times in which they were C< 1< brated, and the countries wherein they took place. The clergy
usually attended: it the occasion was oi f joy or
thanksgiving, they were attired in the mosl splendid vestments. The laity put on their best attire, and were adorned with garlands ami other ornaments; and the Bound of hells and music was heard through the
whole line. On occasions of mourning or penitence, the procession was distinguished by plain vestments, bare feet, deep silence, or Bounds of lamentation ami prayer, ami sometimes by the exercise of flagellation. Men and women walked apart: and the line of procession was ranged with reference to the various ranks and classes ofthe persons who composed it. Lighted w ax tapers wire often carried in procession, especially on the festival of the Purification ofthe Virgin Mary, which was hence called Jestum or missa candela (see < wj« dlbmas). Litanies composed for the occasion were Bung in Latin as the procession moved. The peniten- tial psalms and the psalms of degrees were employed on
i be occasion, as well as many Latin hvinns.
PROCESSIONS
613
PROCESSIONS
These processions have always been more common in the Western than in the Eastern Church. The Refor- mation greatly lessened them even in the Roman Cath- olic Church, and, especially in mixed countries, proces- sions are less frequent or popular nowadays. They are there either supplicatory processions or cross proces- sions, and are either directed to a certain distant place, to some miraculous image or object, or they are con- fined to the streets of the cities and the churches. Ban- ners, crosses, and images are generally carried in front ; the clergy follow; and the people make up the rear, singing hymns or reciting prayers. In some Protestant states they are still permitted, under certain restric- tions. The Protestants themselves rarely practice them, excepting the Ritualists (q. v.).
In the mediaeval Church the name procession was given to the ritual march, at the time of the celebration of the host, of the celebrant, and especially the bishop and his assistants, from the church door or the sacristy to the altar. In a narrower sense, the procession is now a ritual walk, the purpose of which is thanksgiving or supplication, or an honor paid to a person either living or dead. For the walks of the first kind alone, the pur- pose of which is thanksgiving, the term " procession" is employed without any more special determination; those of the second kind are usually called by Roman- ists "litania?," " rogationes," "supplicationes," and also " exomologeses," " stationes," which were their former names. Among the walks of the third kind we men- tion the solemn entrance, attended with ecclesiastical ceremonies, of a bishop, pope, or sovereign into a place ; the funeral, and even the bridal procession. Another distinction between different processions is this, that in some of them the host is carried about, in others it is not; the former are called theophoric processions (Seoq and fopiu)). All these processions are either prescribed on certain days of the year and on certain occasions, or simply allowed in certain circumstances. Among the prescribed processions, the most important are the Cor- pus-Christi procession. Candlemas -day, the procession on Palm-Sunday, the litany of St. Mark's Day, the lit- any on the three days of the Week of Prayer, and, final- ly, the funeral procession. Curates or ecclesiastics of a higher rank may organize processions on the harvest- festival, in great distresses, etc.