The universal Church celebrates today the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran the cathedral church of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. The basilica was consecrated in the year 324 by Pope Sylvester I, marking a cornerstone moment in Christian history.
A Latin inscription found within the church proclaims: “Omnium ecclesiarum Urbis et Orbis mater et caput” meaning, “The mother and head of all the churches of the city and of the world.” This declaration emphasizes the Lateran Basilica’s primacy among all churches as the spiritual center of the Catholic world.
Originally dedicated as the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior, it later became known as St. John Lateran, deriving its name from the Laterani family who gifted the land to the Church. The title also honors the two saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist whose monastic community served the basilica.
The Feast of St. John Lateran is not just about a building but about the unity of the Church itself a reminder that all churches across the world share one faith and one foundation in Christ.