Figure 1.--Here is a view of a procession in Enna, Sicily. The feast of Our Lady of Visitation (Madonna della Visitazione) is celebrated on July 2. During the procession the members of the confraternity bring the statues of Patron saints along the streets of the town. In the photo we can see the children bringing the statue of St. Michael. They are wearing the uniform of the confraternity (the same also for adults): white robe, light blue mantle and bare feet. There are some legends about the origin of this feast that is surely very ancient. However two important historians assert that we can find the roots of this feast in the cult of Roman goddess Ceres. Rocco Pirri (1577-1651) tells that the cult of Ceres was present in Enna before the Christian faith. Two elements of this cult were white clothing and bare feet (Rocco Pirri, Sicilia sacra, Palermo 1630). Leandro Alberti (dead in 1552) tells that a feast of Ceres was probably celebrated in the region on July 2.

The religious procession is a historic tradition of the Catholic Church. We see it it not only in Italy, but throughout southern Europe and Latin America. Presumably it has pre-Christian clasical Roman roots. Presumably this tradition is the fruit of the melding of the new Christian faith and pre-Christian religiosity. There are pagan roots to many Christian traditions which can be viewed as the christianization' of pagan traditions. Major Christian celebrations are built on pagan traditions. Christmas is the best example. There are local traditions about festivals and other celebrations. Some of these date to ancient times, but actual evidebce is difficult to find. And even if the modern celebrations had ancient origins, we do not have good information as to how they were celebrated and if the celebrations included public processions. We do not know much about religious processions in ancient Rome. Perhaps readers will know more. The situation also can be quite different from place to place. For example, the pagan roots are very manifest in the Sicilian processions where the children are offered to the saint as sign of protection.

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Created: 11:27 PM 6/16/2009
Last updated: 11:27 PM 6/16/2009