Saint John Lateran - Sunday, First Week of Lent
- Rick Bessey
- Mar 9
- 2 min read
With the Church of Saint John Lateran we come to the seat of the Bishop of Rome. One might think of Saint Peter's as the main church of Rome. And, although Saint Peter's is the head of Christianity, the city of Rome, like other major cities, has it's own church.
In addition, Saint John Lateran is one of the four historical pilgrimage churches. And, because making such a statement immediately elicits the question, "What are the seven pilgrimage churches of Rome?" - here they are:
Basilica of Saint John Lateran
St. Peter's Basilica
Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls
Santa Maria Maggiore
Basilica of Saint Lawrence Outisde the Walls
Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jersusalem (Despite the name, the church is, in fact, located in Rome.)
Santuary of Our Lady of Divine Love (This church replaced St. Sebastian Outside the Walls in the year 2000.)
[A quick note on the names which include the phrase "Outside the Walls". Remember that Romans were not permitted to bury their dead within the city limits and, given that many churches were erected at the site of burials of saints, many churches were given the name simply because that is where they were located.]
This church was established in the year 324! Fires have destroyed the structure over the years, and various reconstruction movements gave us the basilica we see today. The current basilica was designed by Borromini. You may be familiar with his church, Sant'Agnese in Agone in the Piazza Navona, facing Bernini's river sculpture.
Much of the interior is from the 1700 and sumptuousness is everywhere. You see the influence of Saint Peter's Basilica with its large vaults along the aisles. Whereas St. Peter's boasts of the four massive Bernini sculptures at the crossing, Saint John Lateran boasts the twelve apostles on the outside, each bearing an incredible amount of billowing fabric. Within, the nave presents us with similar statues between each arch as we move toward the altar.
Saint John Lateran also contains many relics, notably of the Passion. These include a nail from the cross, and a spike from the crown of thorns. Just outside the basilica, across the piazza, is the building which houses the Scala Sancta, the Holy Steps. These are the steps of the palace of Pontius Pilate that Christ climbed. The faithful with climb the steps on their knees.
For those of you visiting St. John Lateran, I provide you with a personal tip. You will find it difficult to catch a taxi on the road that cuts through the piazza. You will see many taxis passing, but they are all occupied. How is it possible that every single taxi would be occupied? The answer is simple; there is a taxi stand that is an embarrassingly short walk just down the hill from the Scala Sancta. Walk there to easily grab a taxi.
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The Vatican has a robust website for the larger basilica's, including St. John Lateran. Notable is the Virtual Tour. It is fantastic, with many different vantage points available. Here is the link: San Giovanni in Laterano VR Tour
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