Perhaps the term “Mother Church” is something that is familiar to you. Many refer to the Catholic Church in general as “Holy Mother Church” and rightly so, as the Church is the Bride of Christ, and she cares for the spiritual and temporal needs of all her children around the world – the dispenser of graces – attained by the merits of Christ and all the saints. But more than just being a spiritual term, this is something that is actually expressed well, and is tangible in every Diocese throughout the world.
Each Diocese has a Mother Church. This is the Cathedral, where the Official Seat of the Bishop is found. This Church symbolizes the authority of the Bishop, and because of this, is recognized as the Mother Church of a Diocese. That is why throughout a Diocese, the Dedication of the Cathedral is remembered with great festivity. Despite being a separate building, in separate locations even, parishes throughout a Diocese celebrate this as a Feast to recall their spiritual union with the Cathedral – a nod to it being the Mother Church, for when the Mother celebrates, her children also share in the joy.
In the very heart of Christendom, there sits the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. Since Saint Peter’s is the most iconic and famous Church in the world, it has often been mistaken for being the Cathedral of Rome. It is not. That designation belongs to the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, a Church built in the year 324, this is the oldest Church in Rome, and the oldest basilica in the Western World. In fact, popes used to live in this Basilica until the Middle Ages.
Dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to Saints John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist, this Church has stood as the Seat of the Bishop of Rome. The land on which the Basilica stands belonged to the Laterani Family, a prominent Roman name during that time. It was the Emperor Constantine who mandated that the land be given to the Church.
Because of this, this Church is recognized as the Mother and Head of the Churches of Rome, and of the world. This Church is the Cathedral of the Pope. This Church is our Mother Church. That is why despite the distance, churches all over the world celebrate its dedication – the day it became the House of God – as an expression of filial union with Rome. This is our duty as Catholics, to remain faithful and steadfast to Rome. To become one “sub umbra Petri” that is, under the shadow of Peter.
Every time we celebrate this Feast, we are reminded that the Church is not just a building confined to one corner of the world. The Church is much more than that. The Church is more than the building, and definitely more than her ministers. It is made up of living stones – the Mystical Body of Christ, whose members are scattered all over the world, as numerous as the grains of sand on the shore, and the stars that light up the night sky.