The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-24
THE MOTHER OF CHURCHES.

In the calendar for the past
week, November 8 commentaries the
dedication of the Church of Our
Saviour, Rome, commonly called St.
John Lateran. History tells us: that
this church ranks first among the four
great patriarchal basilicas of the
Eternal City. This world-famous
church had it's origin far back in the
fourth century The site on which it
stands was occupied in the early days
by the Lateran family. Some traces
of the original buildings remain in
the city walls beyond the Gate of St.
John. In the eighteenth century a
large hall was fsuncovered in the
basilica itself.
The Lateran palace came into the
possession of Constantine the Great
through his wife, and it is supposed
that he gave it to the Church about
311. 1t became the centre of Christian
life in Rome, as the Cathedral Church
and the residence of the Popes. The
title upon the walls claims for it that
it is the mother of all churches. Some
historians state that Constantine built
the basilica, while others consider it
more probable that the work he car.
ried out was an adaptation and en-
largement of the basilica or great.
hall already built Constantine was a
generous patron, and in his gratitude
| for the victory over Maxentius he
founded churches and lavished gifts
on Christian shrines.
The basilica was originally dedi-
Gated to Our Saviour. Later it was
dedicated to st. John because the
Benedictine Monastery of st. John the
Baptist and St. John the Evangelist
jadjoined the church. The Popes and
other benefactors adorned the interior
| with such magnificence that at an
early period it was known as the Gold
en- Church, reputation that drew
to it the covetous thoughts of the
Vandals who descended upon it and
stripped it of its treasures.
i Many vicissitudes befell the basilica
as the centuries passed; once it was
NEARLY wrecked by an earthquake
i twice fire ravaged it, and each time
i benefactors rebuilt and restored it,
i following as closely as possible the
original plan. 1t was not until the
seventeenth century that the Church
i assumed its present appearance. in
4 the restoration ordered by Pope limo
lcent x, by which st. Johns lost the
/ appearance of an ancient basilica.
1 From the fifth century seven ora
tories surrounded the basilica and be
fore long these were opened into the
church itself. The devotion of visit
i ing these oratories gave rise to the
1 pious practise of visiting the sever
affairs still common in many churches
of Rome and elsewhere.
4 The high altar has no saint buried
beneath it since, unlike almost all the
great churches of Rome, the basilics
:, was not built over the tomb of mar
'ltyr 1T stands alone says The
/ Catholic Encyclopedia, among all thu
laltars of the Catholic world in beins
/ of wood and not of stone and enclos
3 ing no relics of any kind The reason
n for this is that the altar itself is ;
most interesting relic, being the ae
!, tual wooden altar upon which ST
II Peter is believed to have celebrated
Mass during his residence in Rome
| It was carefully preserved during tn
] periods of persecution, and wa
/, brought by Constantine and Sylveste
! from the home, of st. Pudentian'
where it had been kept. It becam
the main altar of the Cathedra
: Church. At present it is encased in 1
! marble altar but the original wood ca
Z be seen.
y Above the altar canopy rests O.
5 four marble pillars, and in the uppe
I part of this canopy are preserved tn
fheads of st. Peter and st. Paul. whic
q had been enshrined previously in tn
4 private chapel of the Lateran palac
Z adjoining.
2 me Sacred Hear RsDielD.