Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica

The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, or simply St. John Lateran Basilica, is the Cathedral of Rome, which means that it is considered the mother of all the churches, with the title “Ecumenical Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Faithful.” Thus, the entire Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica by Pope Sylvester I back in year 324. The Basilica houses the “cathedra” or the ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Roman Pontiff, the Pope. That is why it ranks higher even than St. Peter’s Basilica, and it is the only one given the “Archbasilica” title. On its façade, there is an abbreviated Latin inscription, “Clemens XII Pont Max Anno V Christo Salvatori In Hon SS Ioan Bapt et Evang.” Translated, this means “Pope Clement XII, in the fifth year [of his Pontificate], dedicated this building to Christ the Savior, in honor of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist.”

The Basilica used to be the Lateran Palace, house of the Laterani family. It got transferred to Constantine I, when he married his second wife Fausta. About the year 312, Constantine donated it to the Bishop of Rome. Initially, it was the official residence of the Pope until 1309. It was then rebuilt to be a basilica and became one of the four Papal “Major Basilicas” in Rome.

• Author
• Recent Posts

The Best Catholic

The Best Catholic website is under the patronage of the Mother of Jesus, Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Thérèse of Lisieux (“The Little Flower” and Doctor of the Church), and St. Gemma Galgani (“The Gem of Christ”).Inspired by the beauty of the Divine Office and the extraordinary holy life of St. Gemma Galgani, it started as a personal blog, known as “Psalms and the Pilgrim Daughter” and has grown into a resource website that promotes the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world.

Our aim is to help Catholics strengthen their spiritual life, deepen their understanding of the faith, and intensify their holiness by catechesis and a variety of Catholic information.

TheBestCatholic.com aspires to be an instrument of evangelization.We are all pilgrims of the earth, striving towards salvation.It is our fervent prayer that by God’s grace, we will be “The Best Catholic” we can ever become.

Email Us: [email protected]

Latest posts by The Best Catholic (see all)

• Mass Readings for November 5, 2024 – Tuesday - November 5, 2024
• Mass Readings for November 4, 2024 – Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Monday - November 4, 2024
• Mass Readings For November 3, 2024 – Sunday, Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time - November 2, 2024