Today we remember the dedication of the St. John Lateran Basilica, the cathedral of Rome. The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and since the Vatican is a separate country St. Peter’s cannot be the cathedral of the city. This feast gives us an opportunity to remember that the Pope as Bishop of Rome presides over the whole Church. Even though the day commemorates a building the Scripture readings for the day don’t. The Prophet Ezekiel talks about a temple even though by his time it was torn down. St. Paul says You are God’s building as the Church — something we can relate to at St. James. And Jesus spoke of the temple of his Body. Sacred places matter for what they do in us.
