The Catholic Writers Guild

Celebrate the dedication of the ‘mother and head’ of all churches on Nov. 9

The diesel engine of the American pilgrims’ tour bus couldn’t quiet the buzzing of questions concerning their next Roman site.

“Who’s St. John Lateran?”

“I’ve never heard of him.”

“What did he do to become a saint?”

Tucked away in southeast Rome and across the street from the Holy Steps (the stairway St. Helena excavated and believed Christ climbed to his meeting with Pilate), sits the historic archbasilica commonly known as “St. John Lateran.”

“There is no saint named John Lateran,” the tour guide announced as the pilgrims gathered at the front entrance of the oldest public church in Rome. It was built on a large campus that housed a palace, barracks, and other edifices owned by the wealthy and powerful Lateran family. The church was originally dedicated to the Most Holy Savior, then later to Sts. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, giving it the official name of The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist. Most people simply refer to it as St. John Lateran. In a city of many ancient churches filled with art and history, this one has a special designation.

What would most Catholics say is the “pope’s church?” St. Peter’s Basilica? That’s the church most associated with the Holy See. In addition to other ceremonies and Masses at St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope celebrates Christmas Eve Mass there, installs new cardinals and, until recently, bestowed the lamb’s wool pallium on new archbishops.

But every year, on Nov. 9, the pope travels less than 15 minutes from St. Peter’s to celebrate the dedication of St. John Lateran. As the bishop of Rome, Lateran is the pope’s archbasilica. And, as Catholics, it’s our church too. The church of every Catholic everywhere in the world.

“Omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarium mater et caput,” the tour guide read, pointing to the message in Latin. Translated in English, it is “The mother and head of all the churches in the city and the world.” Every Catholic has a parish home, the church they attend regularly and are probably registered. They also have their diocesan home, the cathedral in the diocese that is known as the “bishop’s church.” On an international level, they have St. John Lateran, the mother and head of all churches. Sojourners from around the world are welcomed at daily Masses and join in this universal place as a family. The pope celebrates Mass on many holy days, such as the feast of Corpus Christi and even Christmas Day. On a jubilee year, its holy doors are the first opened of four major basilicas in Rome. Between the 12th and 16th centuries, it hosted five ecclesiastical meetings, collectively known at the “Lateran Councils.” It housed popes until the 14th century. John Paul II journeyed to Lateran for the Rite of the Possession of the Chair of the Bishop of Rome after being elected pope in 1978, invoking Revelation 21:3 when he said, “I wish to kneel down in this place and kiss the threshold of this temple which has been for so many centuries ‘the dwelling of God with men.’” (1)

Yards from the basilica is a statue of St. Francis of Assisi, who ventured to Rome to request permission from Pope Innocent III, in residence at the Lateran palace, to begin his order. Larger than life statues of the 12 apostles surround the perimeter of the nave, each showing the symbols associated with them: Peter holding the keys; John the Evangelist with pen and eagle; Bartholomew, who was flayed alive, holding the skin of his face. Each one teaching us the glory of their entrance into heaven and reminding us that the art in churches was never meant simply as pretty decoration of some artist’s spiritual interpretation. Art was meant to help teach the Gospel, to both the illiterate and privileged. It is just as important today to keep that art public to help enlighten moderns to the Word.

The archbasilica has survived natural disasters and fires, a 1993 bombing, and more than 200 popes. It is a place of rich history that includes the fiendishness of Nero and the benevolence of Constantine who handed the property over to the church under the care of Pope Melchiades (2). Like countless other Catholic churches, it displays sumptuous art and has been a place of significant occasions, some of which have harbored tragedy and joy. It could be argued, however, that the most momentous event takes place daily and exponentially with the arrival of Catholic pilgrims from their native lands who come to the comforting revelation that this basilica is also their home. If you can’t attend a Mass there Nov. 9 to celebrate its dedication, make a virtual visit and get to know your home away from home.

Click here to take a virtual tour of St. John Lateran.

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Copyright 2023 Mary McWilliams
Photos by Mary McWilliams:

Feature Image: The front of The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist, commonly known as “St. John Lateran.”
Image 2: Statue of St. Francis of Assisi and companions requesting permission from Pope Innocent to establish a new order.
Image 3: St. Peter, in the nave of St. John Lateran shown holding his symbol, the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

References:
(1) https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1978/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19781112_possesso-laterano.html
(2)https://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/it/basilica/storia.htm