Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran

The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, often called the Lateran Basilica or Saint John Lateran, is the main cathedral of the Diocese of Rome in Rome, Italy. It is very special because it is the seat of the bishop of Rome and the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church: the pope. Unlike most other important churches, this one is not inside Vatican City; it sits outside, about four kilometres away. Even so, because it belongs to the properties of the Holy See, it has special rights and is not fully under Italy’s control, thanks to an agreement called the Lateran Treaty from 1929.

This church is the oldest of the four major papal basilicas and one of the important Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. People have been worshipping there since 324, making it the oldest public church in Rome and the oldest basilica in the whole Western world. Inside, it holds a very important chair called the cathedra, which belongs to the Roman bishop. Over time, fires damaged the building, but it was rebuilt and renewed, especially in the late 16th century under Pope Sixtus V, and again in the late 17th century, with the front part finished in 1735 by Pope Clement XII.

Today, the church is led by Cardinal Archpriest Baldassare Reina, who became its leader on 6 October 2024. An interesting tradition lasts for many years: the president of the French Republic, right now Emmanuel Macron, holds a special title as the “First and Only Honorary Canon” of the archbasilica, a role that French leaders have had since King Henry IV. A big Latin writing on the front of the church remembers Pope Clement XII and the year he finished part of the building, showing its dedication to Christ the Saviour and the saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. The main celebration day for this church is August 6, marking the Transfiguration of Christ.

Name

The archbasilica has a long Latin name: Archibasilica Sanctissimi Salvatoris ac Sancti Ioannis Baptistae et Ioannis Evangelistae ad Lateranum. In English, this means the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist at the Lateran. In Italian, it is called Arcibasilica [Papale] del Santissimo Salvatore e Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano.

History

Lateran Palace

Main article: Lateran Palace

The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran stands above the remains of an old Roman fort called the Castra Nova equitum singularium. This fort was built by Emperor Septimius Severus in the year 193. Later, after Emperor Constantine the Great won a battle against Maxentius, the fort was torn down.

The area was also home to a palace belonging to a Roman family named the Laterani. One of them, Sextius Lateranus, was the first common citizen to become a consul, a high-ranking official. The Laterani family served many emperors. The palace later became property of the Emperor when Constantine the Great married his second wife, Fausta, who was the sister of Maxentius. The palace was then given to the Bishop of Rome by Constantine the Great. It was turned into a church and became the main church of Rome, the home of the Popes as Bishops of Rome.

Early Church

Pope Sylvester I officially dedicated the archbasilica and the nearby Lateran Palace in the year 324. He changed its name to Domus Dei, meaning “House of God,” and dedicated it to Christ the Savior. A special chair, called a cathedra, which showed the authority of a bishop, was placed there. This made it the main church for the Pope as the Bishop of Rome. When Gregory the Great sent missionaries to England, some churches there were modeled after this church.

The celebration of this dedication is remembered every year on November 9.

The Middle Ages

A plaque on the front of the archbasilica calls it the “mother and head of all churches in the city and the world.” During the Middle Ages, leaders of the church claimed that the church held very special items from Jerusalem.

The church was rededicated twice. In the 10th century, Pope Sergius III dedicated it to Saint John the Baptist. In the 13th century, Pope Lucius II dedicated it to John the Evangelist. Because of this, both Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist are considered protectors of the church, although it is still mainly dedicated to Christ the Savior.

Every pope lived in the Lateran Palace from the time of Pope Miltiades until 1309, when Pope Clement V moved the papal residence to Avignon in France. The Lateran Palace was also where important church meetings took place five times.

Fires and reconstruction

While the popes lived in Avignon, France, the Lateran Palace and the archbasilica were not taken care of and fell into disrepair. Two big fires damaged them in the years 1308 and 1362. After each fire, money was sent from Avignon to help rebuild. Even so, the buildings lost much of their beauty. When the popes returned to Rome, they felt the buildings were no longer fit to live in and stayed in other churches instead. Eventually, a new palace was built next to the Basilica of Saint Peter, and this became the official home of the popes.

There were many efforts to rebuild the archbasilica before Pope Sixtus V started a major project. He hired architect Domenico Fontana to lead the work. The old Lateran Palace was torn down and a new building was put in its place. In front of the palace stands the Lateran Obelisk, a very large ancient Egyptian stone tall pillar. It was made by Pharaoh Thutmose III and later brought to Rome. Pope Sixtus V had it moved to its current spot in 1588.

Inside the church, more changes were made under the direction of architect Francesco Borromini, who was asked to work on the church by Pope Innocent X. In the following years, statues of the Apostles were placed inside the church by famous artists.

Pope Clement XII wanted to build a new front for the church and held a contest for architects. The winner was Alessandro Galilei, and the front we see today was finished in 1735. The writing on the front tells us that Pope Clement XII dedicated the church to Christ the Savior and to Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist.

World War II

During World War II, the Archbasilica and its buildings were used by Pope Pius XII to protect Jewish people and other refugees from danger. Many people, including leaders and soldiers, found safety there. Some religious groups helped provide shelter and support to those in need.

Architecture

History

The archbasilica still shows parts of an old hall called the Triclinium, used by Pope Leo III for important meetings. Some old mosaics from that time remain, showing scenes like Christ giving tasks to the Apostles and giving special items to Pope Sylvester I and Emperor Constantine I.

Over the years, the building has faced many changes. It was damaged by an earthquake and later by fires, but each time it was rebuilt. The design includes rows of columns and a special entrance area. Inside, you can still see some old floor patterns and statues of important religious figures.

Some older parts of the building still exist, like special floor designs and statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. There is also a beautiful canopy over the main altar and old chairs that popes used to sit on.

From the 5th century, there were small rooms around the archbasilica for special prayers. These became part of the church, and people still visit seven special places for prayers today.

The outside of the church was designed to look like a palace rather than a church, but it still shows the shape of the inside spaces.

In the entrance area, there is a very old statue of Emperor Constantine. Between the church and the city wall, there used to be a large monastery. All that remains is a beautiful garden area with special columns made of colorful stone.

Statues of the Apostles

In the early 1700s, plans were made to create twelve large statues of the Apostles to go in special places inside the church. Famous sculptors were chosen to make these statues, each one sponsored by an important leader. The Pope himself chose the statue of Saint Peter, and a special church leader chose the statue of Saint John the Evangelist.

The statues were made by different artists and placed on walls inside the church.

Papal tombs

Main article: List of extant papal tombs

Inside the archbasilica, there are six tombs of popes still standing today. These include popes like Alexander III, Sergius IV, Clement XII, Martin V, Innocent III, and Leo XIII. Leo XIII was the last pope buried outside of Saint Peter's Basilica for over a hundred years.

Twelve more papal tombs were made in the archbasilica, but they were destroyed in fires in the 1300s and 1360s. The remains of these popes were gathered together in a special resting place. The popes whose tombs were lost include John X, Agapetus II, John XII, Paschal II, Callixtus II, Honorius II, Celestine II, Lucius II, Anastasius IV, Clement III, Celestine III, and Innocent V.

The skull of Saint Peter is said to be kept in the archbasilica, along with the skull of Saint Paul.

Baptistery and Holy Stairs

Main articles: Lateran Baptistery and Scala Sancta

Not far from the archbasilica is a special building called the Lateran Baptistery. It was founded by Pope Sixtus III and has an octagonal shape. For many generations, it was the only place in Rome where people could be baptized.

The Holy Stairs are marble steps said to have been the stairs in Jerusalem where Jesus walked during his trial. These steps were brought to the archbasilica in the 4th century and moved to their current spot in 1589 by Pope Sixtus V. Some paintings on the walls were finished by an artist named Ferraù Fenzoni.

Tabula Magna Lateranensis

The Tabula Magna Lateranensis is a special panel from the 13th century. You can find it on the left side of the sacristy door at the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. It lists the important holy items kept inside the basilica.

There is another similar panel from the same time period on the right side of the sacristy door. It talks about some work that was done in the ninth century, even though the title on top was added much later.

Notable people

Archpriests

In about the year 1299, Pope Boniface VIII created the role of Archpriest for the Archbasilica.

Others

• Giuseppe Olivieri, an Italian composer, worked as a music leader at the archbasilica from 1622 to 1623.