St. John Lateran

This is the oldest, and ranks first among the four great "patriarchal" basilicas of Rome. The site was, in ancient times, occupied by the palace of the family of the Laterani. A member of this family, P. Sextius Lateranus, was the first plebian to attain the rank of consul. In the time of Nero, another member of the family, Plautius Lateranus, at the time consul designatus was accused of conspiracy against the emperor, and his goods were confiscated. Juvenal mentions the palace, and speaks of it as being of some magnificence, "regiæ ædes Lateranorum".

I made the entire first part of this entry a link so no matter what you have to accidentally go and read what the Catholic Encyclopedia has to say about what is probably the oldest church in Christendom. For a more secular view click this lovely sentence for the wiki entry. I believe that it is important that we understand why there is a feast set aside for the founding of this church, as it's so important it celebrated tomorrow instead of the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time.

I think it has a great deal to do with the triumph of Constantine, the edict of Milan, and the rise of the Christian religion. Twelve popes did live there, countless restorations have tormented the building into its present shape and even the famous architect Borromini was hired to do the facade. Fascinating! but what has that to do with religion?

This quote should clear up why

The Lateran Basilica, whose dedication we celebrate every November, was donated to the Church by Constantine soon after he legalized Christianity in 313AD. Ever since it has been, as the official cathedral of the Pope, the mother church of all Christendom, the cathedral of the world.

We are celebrating the triumph of Constantine. Now, I admit it's possible I'm missing something here, so let's continue our search for why a building gets a feast day. So, at Americancatholic.com, Franciscan, of course, when you need clarity go to them... they say

Unlike the commemorations of other Roman churches (St. Mary Major, Sts. Peter and Paul), this anniversary is a feast. The dedication of a church is a feast for all its parishioners. St. John Lateran is, in a sense, the parish church of all Catholics, for it is the pope's parish, the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome. This church is the spiritual home of the people who are the Church.

Okay, that is all well and good, I support it, and will gladly observe the Feast of its founding. What I question is why it's more important than the Sunday, a day set aside as an observance of the Resurrection of Christ, for whom we in church for, at all!

Well, I believe that it is because had Constantine not donated the palace to the Pope in the 300s, we'd not have a place to say it all started here. We mustn't forget that to the people of Rome, at least those who are Catholic, St. John Lateran is the Cathedral Church of Rome, not St. Peter's Basilica, which is the seat of the Papacy. St. John Lateran is the church of the Bishop of Rome. The pope is responsible for both roles.

Perhaps this feast is for the Pope's benefit as much as ours, to remind us that the needs of the people outside the Vatican State, are just as, if not more, important, as the needs of the rest of the world. When John XXIII became Pope he gave a raise to all the Vatican employees. When challenged with the words, "but we will have to give less to charity," he said, "Justice first, then charity."