Today in the Western Rite we celebrate the consecration of the Archbasilica of the Saviour in Rome. Sadly, the original building has long since disappeared and been replaced by a late baroque eye sore. Sorry to you baroque fans, but it really isn't my thing. In any case here are some excerpts from the Anglican Breviary highlighting the basilica's importance to Christendom:
"But when the Emperor Constantine had become a Christian, then for the first time, in a law by him published, was it allowed to Christians throughout the whole world to build churches, to the which holy building holy building he exhorted them by his example as well as by his decree. For he dedicated his own Lateran Palace as the Church of the Saviour...."
"It is the anniversary of this consecration which is still celebrated upon this day, the first whereon the public consecration of a church ever took place in Rome, and wherein the likeness of the Saviour, portrayed on the wall, was for the first time displayed to public view in Rome."
As I understand it, this makes it the first state recognized church in the world (western, at least.) It is the mother church of all Western Churches built since, and holds the cathedra of the Pope, Patriarch of Rome and all the West. This feast really highlights to me how incomplete Western Orthodoxy is without its own Patriarch, and how incomplete the corrupted Roman Church is without Orthodoxy.
(The image above may include fragments of mosaic from the original basilica. I have not really been able to find pictures of anything else from the period, though they must be around somewhere.)
Note: Also interesting, apparently it was at this consecration that the church declared that altars were to be made from stone and adorned with Holy Chrism.
Another Note: The Holy Steps Christ walked on during his Passion, which blessed Helena brought back from Jerusalem, are kept in a building extremely close by.
No comments:
Post a Comment