The Dedication of the
Lateran Basilica in Rome
Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12
1 Corinthians 3:9c-11,16-17
John 2:13-22

Today we celebrate the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. Although most Catholics consider Saint Peter’s Basilica the center of Catholic worship in Rome, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran is the Cathedral Church of that diocese. Every bishop has a cathedral and the Pope’s cathedral is the Basilica of St. John Lateran, not the Basilica of St. Peter. St. John Lateran is the pope’s church, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome presides.

The Church of St. John Lateran is so important that the Feast of its dedication replaces the Mass for the thirty-second Sunday in ordinary time. On the front of the basilica there is an inscription in Latin which says, “The mother and mistress of all churches.” Celebrating the dedication of the Pope’s cathedral today shows our unity with the Pope and our love and respect for him. It shows that we are united with each other in the Church. St. Paul described this unity in the Church in our first reading. All churches, and most particularly this one, are symbols of the People of God gathered as the Body of Christ. Christ is the foundation of our life—its cornerstone.

But today’s liturgy is not about pride of place for a specific church. It is as much about the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Oregon as it is about the Basilica of St. John Lateran. It is about the attitude of prayer and worship that is at the foundation of what we believe. It is a celebration of the cathedral as a symbol of that faith.

The First Reading says it well, “This is ...where I will dwell in the midst of the people.” The Cathedral of any diocese is the sign of the unity of the Church. This is a symbol of where God dwells--in the unity of his people. We are, as Paul tells us, “God’s building.” Later, Origen said, “We are most of all God’s temple when we prepare ourselves to receive the Holy Spirit.” But if we introduce dissension and division into the community of believers, we destroy the temple of God in a double sense. We make it impossible for the Spirit to operate and we reduce the Church to a series of disconnected ruins. No building can stand firm if sections of it are removed. If we are not one, our Cathedral is an empty symbol. Ezekiel’s vision is of a river flowing from the Temple in Jerusalem and bringing life everywhere it went—a powerful reminder of the Church receiving life-giving grace from Jesus.

Celebrating the dedication of the Pope’s cathedral today shows our unity with the Pope and our love and respect for him. This is a special day for the people of Rome. It is a special day for us, too.