Older Practice
Prior to the occupation of Rome by the army of the Kingdom of Italy (September 20, 1870), this blessing was given more frequently and at specific basilicas at Rome:
- St. Peter's Basilica—Holy Thursday, Easter, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, and at the Papal Coronation
- St. John Lateran—Ascension (sometimes this was postponed until Pentecost), and when a new pope was enthroned as Bishop of Rome
- St. Mary Major—Assumption
After the occupation, Pope Pius IX considered himself a "Prisoner in the Vatican" and in protest ceased to give the blessing. The practice was later resumed, though in a more limited manner, following the resolution of the so-called "Roman Question" (i.e., the legal relationship between the Vatican and the Italian government).
Pope Innocent X in the Jubilee of 1650 on the Epiphany, Pentecost, and All Saints, as well as later popes, including Pope Pius IX, for special reasons, gave this solemn blessing from the balcony of the Quirinal Palace.
Read more about this topic: Urbi Et Orbi
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