Father Thomas Welbers' Homily	Jump back to Homily Index
Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran November 9, 2003 Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17 John 2:13-22	Listen to Audio

A good question for a game of “Catholic Trivia” might be “What is the Pope’s Cathedral?” You know that most people would answer, “St. Peter’s.” I think, however, that most of you know that answer would be wrong. The Pope’s Cathedral is the Basilica of St. John Lateran, a mile or two away across the Tiber River in another part of Rome. St. Peter’s became more closely associated with the Pope only in the sixteenth century, when the popes tore down the old St. Peter’s basilica, and built the new church there, more grandiose than anything else in Rome – or in the world, for that matter. But St. John Lateran, not St. Peter’s, remained as the real cathedral.

The original basilica was built in the fourth century when Constantine the Great gave Pope Sylvester I a piece of property on which to construct his cathedral church. The property had been owned by the old an influential Laterani family, hence the name. The basilica was dedicated on November 9, 324. The celebrating the dedication of this church, 1,679 years later, is still so important that this feast displaces even a Sunday Mass. Why?

I can think of three reasons why it is important for us to celebrate this feast that commemorates an event almost 17 centuries ago for a church more than 6,000 miles away.

First, the Basilica of St. John Lateran was made possible because the emperor Constantine gave the Church freedom after three centuries of systematic persecution by a hostile state in a hostile society. As our own Thanksgiving Day approaches, we can continue to give thanks for religious freedom, and cherish and appreciate that gift, even as we struggle sometimes to practice an equal respect for the freedom of worship and religious expression of people who differ from us.

Second, the word “Cathedral” comes from the Latin word “cathedra,” which means chair – it is the seat of the bishop’s authority. Catholics everywhere owe their first respect and allegiance to their own local bishop, who exercises his authority and teaching in union with the Pope, who is first and foremost the Bishop of Rome. Our own parish church, Our Lady of the Assumption, is Catholic because we are part of the church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and our “mother church” is the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Our Cardinal Archbishop, Roger Mahony, is our chief shepherd because he is in union with the Bishop of Rome. Both teaching and governing authority in the Church is not a direct line from the Pope, but rather is a wonderful structure of collegial collaboration, in which the Pope, as Bishop of Rome, serves as the outward sign of unity in Christ. And so today, in celebrating the “mother church” of Rome, we are also celebrating our oneness in faith and love with Catholic Christians throughout the world.

Third, we celebrate the reality of the Church that is built up of living stones, all the faithful, with our foundation in Christ Jesus himself. The building we call “church” houses the real church, which is the assembly of the faithful, gathered for worship. The church is God’s house because, we, his people, truly are God’s house. Jesus is present here in word and sacrament because we, as church, are the body of Christ, and individually we are members of his one body. As we celebrate the building, we celebrate the people who call this building their home.

So today we are really celebrating ourselves – not in a superficial or self-centered way. We are a people with a rich living heritage of faith; we are a people whom God has called his own. We are a people among whom God continues to work, to make his presence come more and more alive in our world.

Perhaps this week, when we get caught up in the humdrum or the complexities of our daily lives, can we think about this ancient church building in Rome which reminds us of the universality of our faith, and our oneness with people of Catholic faith all over the world? When we face the wonders and the terrors of life in the modern world, can the thought of this sixteen-hundred-year-old church building help us appreciate a little more the heritage of our faith, ancient but still giving hope to our hearts and meaning to our lives?

© Thomas Welbers 2003