Basilica of St. John Lateran represents all Catholics

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17

John 2:13-22

This year, we get the relatively rare opportunity to celebrate together the anniversary of the dedication of the Archbasilica of the Savior, more commonly known as St. John Lateran or the Lateran Basilica. Standing in Rome as the mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world, it houses the throne of the Roman Pontiff, making it his official cathedral (not the larger and more regularly used St. Peter’s Basilica, as most people presume).

A logical syllogism runs through the Scriptural texts appointed for this feast. To somewhat spoil it up front, St. Paul affirms “You are God’s building” and “you are the temple of God” while Christ then speaks of “the temple of his Body;” therefore, the faithful who comprise the Church are bound in an organic, intimate, living union with Him as their Head, as St. Paul explicates elsewhere. The famous prophecy from Ezekiel prefigures the Sacrament of Baptism emanating from the Church: “I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple … Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live.” You can’t miss this vitality when you visit and behold streams of believers pour through the massive complex.

Recently, the lawn in front of the Archbasilica was upgraded, providentially, right in time for Pope Leo XIV to take possession after his election. Unfortunately, it was designed with artful alternating strips of grass and concrete walkway that will likely constantly and completely be ruined by crowds of pilgrims and tourists, particularly in a Jubilee Year like this. That’s something of a suitable image of how the Church is immaculate in her divine identity from Christ her Head but sinful in us, her members. Sometimes, like on the feast of Corpus Christi, which concludes with the Eucharistic procession to St. Mary Major, the Mass is celebrated outside on the front steps before the soaring columns of the Holy Father’s Archbasilica to accommodate the large numbers in attendance. These magnificent liturgies fittingly capture both the spirit of the local community and the whole world at the same time.

The building itself is no doubt impressive; some more artistically savvy pilgrims claim it as their favorite of the major basilicas. It is undeniable that the present edifice took shape in a high period of economic prosperity and influence, but one still cannot help but see the hand of grace in its sheer splendor for which God’s holy people were willing to sacrifice so much: “Come! behold the deeds of the Lord, the astounding things he has wrought on earth.” Pieces of the baptistry built by Emperor Constantine in the 300s as well as the very foundations of the main building have survived various renovations, unlike at most of the other ancient churches. His conversion occasioned its construction, so it is no exaggeration to understand in accord with St. Paul’s teaching: “no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.” He alone founded the Church!

Adjacent to the former longtime residence of the popes, the Archbasilica’s solid grandeur highlights the papacy’s steady guidance of the Church for the rather brief time each incumbent serves, necessitating that “each one must be careful how he builds upon it.” We should be prompted to pray for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, his health and intentions, and for the pivotal work he carries out each day in clarifying and unifying the Catholic Faith throughout the world.

Although plenty sturdy, this sacred place may need updated or replaced in centuries to come. “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up … But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.” The Church in her people is destined to rise again from death, both physical and spiritual, by the grace of the very Sacraments she offers, in witness to the world that the Lord’s promises revealed in the Bible and our Tradition are true: “when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.” Hopefully, our own love for this divine institution comprised by souls in Body of Christ resonates with the sentiment of our Head, Who quoted the Scriptures saying, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” As for the Catholic Church, as ever and always, “God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed,” for it is “the holy dwelling of the Most High.”

Related