Benediction (from the Lat. benedicere, literally, 'to speak well of;' 'to commend') is a solemn invocation of the Divine blessing upon men or things. The ceremony in its simplest form may be considered almost coeval with the earliest expressions of religious feeling. The Sabbath is said to have been blessed. Jacob blessed his two grandsons. Christ 'took bread and blessed it,' and 'lifting up his hands,' blessed his disciples. In the primitive church the custom gradually developed itself in various liturgical forms. In Protestant churches a form of benediction is used at the close of religious services. In the Roman Church a priestly benediction has been defined as a formula of imperative prayer, which, in addition to the desire which it expresses, transmits a certain grace or virtue to the object over which it is pronounced. Such ecclesiastical benedictions are generally accompanied with the sprinkling of holy water and the use of incense, and universally with the sign of the cross. Prescribed forms may be gathered from the missal, breviary, and pontifical, or may be found collected in the Benedictionale Romanum. Certain blessings form part of the liturgical services which only occur at stated seasons, as the blessing of the candles on Candlemas Day, of the ashes on Ash Wednesday, and of the palms, the sacred fire, the incense grains, the paschal candle, font and baptismal water, during Holy Week. Many ancient and curious ceremonies are used at the blessing of altars or of church-bells by the bishop. Other objects for which special blessings are provided in the Benedictionale are fields, houses, ships, cattle, noxious animals, articles of food, and even railroads and telegraphs. Water mingled with blessed salt for the devotional use of the faithful in church or at home is as a rule prepared every week. This aqua benedicta or holy water in turn conveys a blessing to persons or objects aspersed with it. Priests having special faculties for the purpose may bless crosses and rosaries, which only, when so blessed, impart the papal indulgence to those who use them. So great was the importance attached by Roman Catholics to this delegated papal blessing, that in 1571 the English parliament, in retaliation against the pope for attempting to depose Elizabeth, imposed the penalties of præmunire on any one who should bring into the realm an Agnus Dei (a medal of wax), crosses, pictures, or beads consecrated or hallowed by the Bishop of Rome, or by authority derived from him. The papal benediction conveyed to a dying person carries with it a plenary indulgence. On certain occasions (as on his jubilee, January 1, 1888), the pope pronounced a solemn benediction urbi et orbi (on the city and the world).
BENEDICTION is also the name given in some countries (in French, Le Salut) to a brief and popular service of comparatively modern origin in the Roman Church. It consists of certain canticles and antiphons sung in presence of the sacred host, which is exposed for the occasion on a 'throne' above the altar. The service is concluded by the priest, wrapped in a veil, taking the monstrance which contains the host, and therewith making the sign of the cross over the people, and giving to them in silence the benediction of the most holy sacrament.