The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
Feast day: November 9
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Celebrating the dedication of the Pope’s cathedral in Rome, mother and head of all churches (09/11)
What is this feast?
The feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica celebrates the day the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope, was consecrated to God. According to tradition, it was dedicated by Pope Sylvester I around the year 324, not long after the emperor Constantine allowed Christians to practice their faith freely. A Latin inscription on the basilica means: mother and head of all churches of the City and of the world. That is why the whole Church everywhere, not only Rome, celebrates this feast.
The story
The basilica was dedicated to Christ the Savior, and later also to Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Apostle. For almost a thousand years, the Popes lived in the palace beside this basilica. Over the centuries, it was damaged by earthquakes and fires and rebuilt many times; today’s front, with the large statues on top, was completed in 1735.
In the Gospel of this feast, Jesus drives the sellers out of the Temple in Jerusalem, and then says: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” (Jn 2:19). Saint John explains that the temple Jesus was speaking about was his own body (cf. Jn 2:21).
Why does the Church celebrate this feast?
The Church all over the world celebrates this feast as a sign of unity with the Bishop of Rome. But a house of stone is only a sign. Saint Paul teaches: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16). Every Christian is a living stone, and together we build the spiritual temple that is the Church (cf. 1 Pt 2:5).
A lesson for you
- When you enter a church, genuflect toward the tabernacle, where Jesus is present in the Eucharist, then keep silent and pray.
- Help keep your parish church clean and beautiful.
- Keep your body and your soul pure, because you are a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Identifying marks
- A white stone front with tall rows of columns: it recalls the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope; the painter drew it simply, not exactly like the real front.
- A statue of Jesus holding a cross at the very top, in the middle: the basilica is dedicated to Christ the Savior; Christ is the foundation of the Church.
- Two statues on either side of the Lord, one holding a cross, one holding a book: they recall Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Apostle, the two saints to whom the basilica is also dedicated.
- Statues of bishops wearing mitres at both ends: they recall the holy Doctors of the Church, great teachers of the faith, whose statues stand on the real front.
- A Vietnamese family looking up, the little child pointing: pilgrims full of joy to visit the church of the Pope, our common father; the mother has her hands joined as if in prayer.
- A clear blue sky: the joy of coming to the house of the Lord, as the psalm says: “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” (Ps 122:1).
The text on this page is the card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
Compiled by i-Catholic · About