BENEDICTION, strictly any blessing either of persons or things, but more commonly applied to formal blessings, such as are pronounced by the priest or minister at the close of religious services.
In the Roman Catholic Church the term is more often applied to a popular form of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament (cf. "Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament" in the Catholic Ency clopaedia). The details of this rite differ considerably in different places and in different circumstances, but the essential act is blessing the people with the host, which is taken from the taber nacle for the purpose and either left in the veiled ciborium or transferred to a monstrance and exposed for adoration before the blessing. The Tantum ergo and 0 salutaris hostia are commonly a part of this service and devotions to the Virgin, with the addition of the Rosary or other familiar prayers, are frequent accompani ments. The whole rite is, however, informal in character and spirit and the widest latitude is permitted in its use.