Basilicas in the Catholic Church

Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular building with a central nave flanked by two or more longitudinal aisles). Basilicas are either major basilicas, of which there are four, all in the Diocese of Rome, or minor basilicas, of which there were 1,810 worldwide as of 2019.^[1]

For a list of all the Catholic basilicas in the world, see List of Catholic basilicas.

Numerous basilicas are notable shrines, often even receiving significant pilgrimages, especially among the many that were built above a confessio or the burial place of a martyr; although this term now usually designates a space before the high altar that is sunk lower than the main floor level (as in the case in St Peter's and St John Lateran in Rome) and that offer more immediate access to the burial places below. Some Catholic basilicas are Catholic pilgrimage sites, receiving tens of millions of visitors per year.^[2]^[3]

Churches designated as papal basilicas, in particular, possess a papal throne and a papal high altar, at which no one may celebrate Mass without the pope's permission.^[4]

also called the Lateran Basilica. Since it is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, in the tradition of the Catholic Church, it has claims as the Mother Church of the world. For this reason, St John Lateran is the only church that is also known as an "archbasilica".

St. John Lateran

also called the Vatican Basilica, is a major pilgrimage site, built over the burial place of Peter the Apostle.

St. Peter's Basilica

also known as the Ostian Basilica because it is situated on the road that led to Ostia, is built over the burial place of Paul the Apostle.

St. Paul Outside the Walls

also called the Liberian Basilica because the original building (not the present one) was attributed to Pope Liberius, is the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

St. Mary Major

Basilica of St Lawrence Outside-the-Walls, Rome

Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, Assisi

St Mary of the Angels, Assisi

Architecture of cathedrals and great churches

Catholic Marian church buildings

Duomo

List of Catholic basilicas

Gietmann, G.; Thurston, Herbert (1913). . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

"Basilica"

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