At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said

to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under

construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of

his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they

came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. John 2: 18-22

This weekend we celebrate the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica. We might not only wonder “what is

the Lateran Basilica and why does it have a feast day,” but also, “why do we celebrate a building? Don’t we

usually people? Jesus and the saints?” Good questions!

The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica honors the dedication of the Archbasilica of the Most Holy

Savior and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist at the Lateran in Rome. It is the oldest and highest-

ranking church in Christendom, often called the “Mother and Head of all Churches of the City and the World”.

The Lateran Basilica is the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome — that is, the Pope. So while many think of

St. Peter’s Basilica as the pope’s main church, it’s actually St. John Lateran that serves as his cathedral, containing

the papal cathedra (bishop’s chair).

The original basilica was built around 324 A.D., after Emperor Constantine the Great donated land that had

belonged to the Laterani family. It was dedicated by Pope Sylvester I and became the site of many important

councils and papal ceremonies. Over the centuries, the basilica suffered fires, earthquakes, and even sackings, but

it has always been restored as a sign of the Church’s perseverance.

Celebrating its dedication each year reminds Catholics that the Church’s physical buildings are symbols of

something deeper, something more than brick and mortar— the spiritual temple made of living stones, that is, the

people of God.

Today is about the mystery of the Church herself — the dwelling place of God among His people. In 1

Corinthians 3:9–17, St. Paul says, “You are God’s building… the temple of the Holy Spirit.” The Gospel often

chosen for the feast (John 2:13-22) recalls Jesus cleansing the Temple and speaking of the Temple of His Body,

foreshadowing His death and resurrection.

Thus, the dedication of the Lateran Basilica celebrates not only a physical structure but also the sanctification of

all believers, who together form the Body of Christ — the true dwelling of God on earth.

As Pope Benedict XVI once said: “Every time we celebrate the dedication of a church, we are reminded that we

ourselves are the true temple of God.”

Although the feast is rooted in Rome, it is celebrated throughout the world, because the Lateran Basilica

symbolizes unity with the Bishop of Rome and, by extension, unity within the universal Church. To celebrate this

feast is to reaffirm our communion with the Pope and with all members of Christ’s Church.

This feast invites us to reflect: What kind of temple am I for the Holy Spirit?