unless stated otherwise.
The Dedication of The Basilica of Saint Saviour.
9 November.
Double of The Second-Class.
White Vestments.
The Basilica of Saint Saviour, Rome.
(The Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome).
Illustrations: UNA VOCE OF ORANGE COUNTY
Artist: René de Cramer.
"Copyright Brunelmar/Ghent/Belgium".
Used with Permission.
(The Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome).
Illustrations: UNA VOCE OF ORANGE COUNTY
Artist: René de Cramer.
"Copyright Brunelmar/Ghent/Belgium".
Used with Permission.
"Terribilis est locus iste".
The Introit for The Mass of The Dedication of a Church.
Available on YouTube at
Among the rich and splendid Roman Basilicas where the Ceremonies of Christian Worship were Celebrated in great pomp, after the Era of Persecution, there is one of First Rank whose Dedication is Solemnised on this Anniversary.
The Palace of The Lateran, on The Coelian Hill, belonged to Fausta, the wife of Emperor Constantine. The Emperor, after his conversion, gave it to the Pope as his private residence, and founded there The Church of The Lateran, which became the Mother and Mistress of all The Churches of Rome and of the World.
On 9 November 324 A.D., Pope Saint Sylvester Consecrated it under the name of the Basilica of Saint Saviour. This was the first public Consecration of a Church. A long time after, under Pope Lucius II, in the 12th-Century, it was Dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, whose name had been given to the adjoining Baptistry, Wherefore, it has been given nowadays the Title of Saint John Lateran.
In this Basilica and the adjoining Palace were held, from the 4th-Century A.D. to the 16th-Century, more than twenty-five Councils, five of which were Ecumenical. On the most Solemn Days, The Station was held there. Holy Orders were Conferred there, Penitents were reconciled, Catechumens were Baptised on Easter Day, and, as Neophytes, they came there in Procession during the whole Easter Octave.
At Saint John Lateran is inaugurated, on The First Sunday in Lent, the great Liturgical Season Consecrated to Penance; there is held the Assembly on Palm Sunday, and that on Rogation Tuesday; there are carried out the Ceremonies of Maundy Thursday and Easter Eve; and Mass is Celebrated on Saturday-in-Albis and on the Eve of Pentecost.
The Church, which had been destroyed, was rebuilt and Consecrated anew by His Holiness Pope Benedict XIII, in 1726, and The Commemoration of this Consecration was fixed, as that of the first Church, on 9 November.
Mass: Terribilis.
In Low Masses: Commemoration of Saint Theodore.
First and Second Vespers: As in The Common.
Zephyrinus has often written in this blog about the wonders of S. John Lateran, what the historians say is the most ancient cathedral basilica in Rome, although nothing remains, at least to the Roman pilgrim’s eye, of the ancient Constantine Basilica.
ReplyDeleteAs noted above, after being destroyed by two disastrous fires in the 1300s, and then suffering neglect throughout the Avignon papacy, the present-day church restoration was commenced, under P. Sixtus V (papal reign 1585-1590). P. Sixtus’ favorite architect was Domenico, Montana (d. 1607), who he had commissioned to construct the exquisitely beautiful Sistine Chapel in S. Maria Maggiore.
Fontana‘s plan was to make a much larger, wider, and deeper cathedral floor plan than the original somewhat small cramped Constantinian Basilica. Fontana however could not complete all his work as planned because he was also commissioned with building the Lateran Palace next door (completed 1586-1588), and the Vatican Library (1587-1590), clearly two vast and large scale works. Fontana did however move the enormous 300-ton Egyptian obelisk from the Vatican Circus, where it had lain in ruins since the time of Nero, to the Piazza San Giovanni Laterano, where it stands today. It is said to be the largest known surviving Egyptian obelisk in the world. (part I, note by Dante P)
(part II) Next, Francesco Borromini (d. 1667) took up the project and it was to him we owe the side arches and niches with the monumental statues of the Saints, including the 12 apostles, on either side of the nave.
ReplyDeleteFinally, in the 1700s, Alessandro Galilei (d.1737; a distant relative of Galileo) constructed the expansive and commanding façade (completed 1735) which is the first sight the Roman pilgrim sees today. When it was first completed, this façade of Galilei was considered very controversial, “fit for a palace of a king, not for a church.” Now, nearly 4 centuries later, it is almost emblematic of the S. John Lateran basilica.
Two other brief Roman pilgrim comments: behind the majestic Baldacchino and in the apse area are finely conceived and executed Cosmatesque marble mosaics, both on the floor and in the walls of the apse itself. One must marvel at the skill with which the different stone pieces were inlaid, leaving hardly a seam at all. Secondly, the remnants of the 12th century monastery lie to the right of the church, in the cloister of which are remarkable carved twisted columns framing a beautiful garden, enclosed peacefully within the monastery quadrangle. (It is usually open 9 AM – 12:30 PM, and 3 PM-6 PM, but it costs €3.5 for admittance; admission to the cathedral itself is free, of course.)
This is the basilica honored today by the celebration of the Dedication of a Church, the Cathedral of S. John the Baptist and the Holy Savior, a sacred place well worth recalling on this feast day. -Note by Dante P
A magnificent summary from our Architecture Correspondent, Dante P, for which we are eternally grateful.
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