BLESSING

or Benediction. The expreasion of and his wishing one well soon gave rise, in early ages, to a solenm act, accompanied, like other solemnitieB of those periods, by symbolic signs; this was the Ufuwas ing or benediction. In the patriarchal times, when a the authority of the head of a family included that of the priest and the civil ruler, the ble ing of ooiune appertained chiefly to him, on acooxmt of hia vene- Here rable character, and when the priests began to form a separate cla , became, in certain cases, a prero^- Edtive of theirs. As the authority of the father, in the in infancy of every nation, is extremely great, the idea was soon sprung up that his prayers, involang the favour duke of of the Deity, were more ^ectual than those of othen, and that whatever he ble ed would be likely to recourt ceive the favour of God. The same importance was at soon attributed to ble ings conferred by a prie< present The heathens, the Jews, and many Christian aecu, conspihave cherished this idea. By the Jewish institutions, her certain benedictions were reserved to the priest: the in same is the case in the Romish Church, in which different benedictions are appropriated to different wars of degrees of the clergy. We shall mention only a few deof them. The Catholic bishops alone can ccnfer those benedictions which are connected with unction, Parliaand are called con9ecnUi<mtf as, for instance, the con ten sec ration of kings and queens, of the cup and patem^ existed the church and altar. To them also is confined the when benediction of abbots and abbe es, of knights, an^ the holy oiL For the benediction of the ho\j vestments, ., they may employ a substitute. Every the Catholic clergyman may confer the beoedictioD on of the the occasion of betrothment; also the marri a^^e high, benediction; may ble the fruits of the earth, and the holy water. The benediction of a biahop the from is eagerly sought for by a faithful Catholic, a--^ contributing peculiarly to his spiritual welfare; find and the Catholic clei^, in general, use the bene in the diction as a salutation, or reward for a service, . interior When the pope rides or walks out, the Cath«)is suplics kneel to receive his ble ing, which be give* and the by a motion of his hand. In his ante-chamber an* design often seen things of different kinds, roaariea, .. in gallarge quantities, which he ble es in pa ing bv. Th«* b^ CatboUc Church ble es things auimat<^ and in»ui* mate, and this is believed by many to preserve them from sickne , injury, . (See AcinfiS, St.) Among several Protestant sects the benediction, at the close of the sermon, is in the form given by Moses. This is the case with the Luther ans. CaUiolics in many cases use the consecrated water in giving the benediction. 238