A ceremony in the Romish church, consisting of a formal march of the clergy and people, putting up prayers, &c. and in this manner visiting some church, &c. They have processions of the host or sacrament; of our Saviour to mount Calvary; of the Rosary, &c. Processions are said to be of Pagan original. The Romans, when the empire was distressed, or after some victory, used constantly to order processions, for several days together, to be made to the temples, to beg the assistance of the gods, or to return them thanks. The first processions mentioned in ecclesiastical history, are those set on foot at Constantinople, by St. Chrysostom. 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 perverting the Catholics, set up counter-processions, in which the clergy and people marched by night, singing prayers and hymns, and carrying crosses and flambeaux. From this period the custom of processions was introduced among the Greeks, and afterwards among the Latins; but they have subsisted longer, and been more frequently used in the Western than in the Eastern church.

Bibliography Information
Buck, Charles. Entry for 'Procession'. Charles Buck Theological Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/cbd/p/procession.html. 1802.

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Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

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Procession