St. Philip Neri was very fond of this practice and he therefore incorporated it into the fiber of the city of Rome. It was a new tradition that had been officially sanctioned by Pope Clement VIII in his Constitution 'Graves et Diuturnae,' dated Nov. 25, 1592.
A Tradition that Began in Milan
However, the tradition began in Milan in 1537 with Fr. Giuseppe, a Capuchin friar. That year the city of Milan was suffering greatly. This was due to the horror of war and the dangers of despair. Fr. Giuseppe therefore called upon the citizenry to raise their eyes to Heaven from the miseries of the world.
Fr. Giuseppe assured the faithful that if they would pray as a community for 40 hours, storming heaven with their prayers for divine succor, he assured them on the part of God, they would be delivered from the devastations of the enemy.
The Milanese people obeyed the call to prayer and thus the Forty Hours' Prayer was was begun in the Cathedral of Milan during that difficult time in Italian and European history. Other parishes did the same in rotation. In this way, the entire city was able to participate, individuals and families taking an hour to pray in silence before the exposed Blessed Sacrament.
Confessions were also made available and this helped the faithful to approach the Eucharist with even greater fervor. In a short period of time, the prayers of the people were heard. The Emperor Charles V and the King of France, Francis I, were met at the gates of Milan to arrange articles of peace.
Indulgences Granted to the Faithful
In order to help promote this worthy new devotion, Pope Clement VIII granted a Plenary Indulgence to all who participate, confessing their sins and receiving absolution, receiving Holy Communion, with a visit to any church or chapel where this devotion is being performed.
In order to gain this indulgence, it was required to visit the Blessed Sacrament once during the three days of Exposition and to receive Holy Communion on the day preceding, or on one of the three days, but not necessarily in the same church or chapel which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed.
Pope Paul V also granted an Indulgence of ten years and ten quadragenae for every visit made to the Blessed Sacrament thus exposed. These indulgences are applicable to the poor souls in Purgatory.
The Custom Continues Today
Parishes that promote this devotion usually schedule it in early Lent. It begins with Solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on a Sunday and ends on the following Tuesday (forty hours) of Eucaristic Adoration in which the Blessed Sacrament remains exposed.
The faithful who participate in this devotion reserve an hour and pray individually or with family members. Every hour must have at least one volunteer to keep watch in order to maintain continuous prayer. A minimum of forty volunteer adoreres are required to keep watch.
Vestments are usually gold. Extra candles are stocked to be replaced when needed. The forms of prayers used include the Litany of the Saints, Collects, etc. to which may be added the Litany of the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin, the Miserere, and the Te Deum.
The images here are from the annual 40 Hours celebration in Rome at the FSSP parish of Santissima Trinita' dei Pellegrini. They are now the last parish the city of Rome's centro storico that has maintained this beloved tradition, that sadly fell by the wayside in many places following the tumultuous years of the 1960s cultural revolution. Every parish that institutes this devotion has seen renewal.
