Word to the Wise
Saturday, November 9, 2024 - Nov. 9 - The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
[Ezek 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22]You are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? [1 Cor.]
Popular perception would likely respond to the question about what church building in Rome is the Pope's cathedral by saying, "St. Peter's." As impressive as St. Peter's Basilica is, it is not the official cathedral of the Bishop of the diocese of Rome. The Basilica of St. John Lateran has that title. (The "Lateran" part of the title comes from the Laterani family who donated the land in the first place.) And it was first dedicated in 324 AD, which makes it much older than St. Peter's. Earthquakes, fires and barbarian attacks have come and gone and it's still standing!
Temples are more than buildings. They can be important symbols as well as we know from the biblical temple in Jerusalem. St. John Lateran basilica suffers from the popular prominence of St. Peter's, but it is a reminder that the Pope is bishop of a diocese just like the bishop of our own diocese. Yes, he is more than that and he does have lots of deputies to run his diocese, but most Popes will try to "make the rounds" and celebrate Eucharist at various churches in Rome and the surrounding areas.
With all of that in mind, why bother celebrating the anniversary of St. John Lateran Basilica? It is a reminder that all Catholicism is "local." And it is most "local" in each and every faithful Catholic, as St. Paul reminds us in the passage from 1st Corinthians, our second scripture for this feast day. No matter how magnificent or humble the building may be, it becomes a "church" when the faithful gather to worship. Otherwise it remains an empty building. A full tabernacle in an empty church is a contradiction in terms! The smallest and poorest diocese with the smallest and most humble cathedral is equal to the magnificence of St. John Lateran because the real temple is the faithful People of God. AMEN