Posted on 11/09/2018 6:20:13 PM PST by Salvation
Most Catholics think of St. Peters as the popes main church, but they are wrong. St. John Lateran is the popes church, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome presides.
The first basilica on the site was built in the fourth century when Constantine donated land he had received from the wealthy Lateran family. That structure and its successors suffered fire, earthquake, and the ravages of war, but the Lateran remained the church where popes were consecrated. In the 14th century when the papacy returned to Rome from Avignon, the church and the adjoining palace were found to be in ruins.
Pope Innocent X commissioned the present structure in 1646. One of Romes most imposing churches, the Laterans towering facade is crowned with 15 colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, and 12 doctors of the Church. Beneath its high altar rest the remains of the small wooden table on which tradition holds Saint Peter himself celebrated Mass.
Unlike the commemorations of other Roman churches, this anniversary is a feast. The dedication of a church is a feast for all its parishioners. In a sense, St. John Lateran is the parish church of all Catholics, because it is the pope’s cathedral. This church is the spiritual home of the people who are the Church.
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Feast of the Day (for yesterday) Ping!
Thank you...I had always wondered about the history of the name “Lateran” and questioned the importance of the anniversary of this cathedral’s dedication.
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