In the 5th century, public devotions and processions became more frequent and took the name litany. In Rome, the pope and the people would go on procession to a different church each day, especially during Lent. This is the origin of the Roman “Stations” during Lent and the “Litania Major” which takes place on April 25. Each of these features a procession during which the Litany of the Saints is recited. In 477, the “Litania Minor”, which took place the week before the Ascension, was introduced in France to pray for fewer earthquakes and calamities. A similar litany was held in Spain the week after Pentecost.
Because of their popularity, numerous variations of the litanies were developed. These included litanies in honor of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, the Precious Blood, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception, various patron saints, the souls in Purgatory and more. By 1601, there were about 80 different litanies in publication. Consequently, and to prevent abuses, on September 6, 1601 Pope Clement VIII forbade the publication of any litanies other than the Litany of the Saints and the Litany of Loreto (also known as the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Later, litanies of the Holy Name of Jesus, the Sacred Heart, the Precious Blood and St. Joseph were approved for use. Other litanies are used in private prayer but are not approved for public recitation.