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which they are said in each church in its turn during
forty hours consecutively. Care is taken to appoint
a sufficient number of churches or chapels for the observ
ance of this devotion, so that the turn of each one shall
come but once a year. In the greater number of dio
ceses this devotion has been established under the name
of Perpetual Adoration.
This devotion appears to have first originated in the
Church of Milan when, in the time of Saint Charles Bor-
romeo, prayers were recited during forty hours before
the Blessed Sacrament, exposed on the altar to obtain
a special favour, namely the defeat of the Turks (1527).
The idea developed and was encouraged by the Sove
reign Pontiffs and in 1731, Pope Clement XII, issued
a whole code of instructions for the regulation of this
devotion.
But there is ANOTHER FORM OF PRAYER, also known as
the Forty Hours (this name indicates the time during
which the Blessed Sacrament remains exposed). These
prayers are to make REPARATION for the insults offered
to God, and also to implore the divine assistance
in times of public calamity. It is with this latter form
of prayer that the devotion of which we are treating
is connected.
In all probability the number of hours has been
fixed at forty, as representing the space of time during
which our divine LORD S BODY remained IN THE SEPUL
CHRE. These forty hours, says Saint Charles Borromeo,
were regarded as a time of vigil and of ardent prayer
during which all work was suspended. Afterwards,
the symbolic vigil of forty hours was transferred to
other days and to other seasons. Naturally, the idea
occurred to practise this devotion DURING CARNIVAL
TIME for the scandal given and the outrages commit-