Pope Francis visited the seat of the bishop of Rome, the oldest and highest-ranking church in this city, St. John Lateran. He went during the feast of the consecration of this church, where the bishop of Rome had a special message for his diocese.
He said that Christians that live in this city “are like a river that flows from the temple: they bring a Word of life and hope capable of making the deserts of our lives fertile.” The pope also emphasized that “no one on this Earth is condemned to be forever separated from God, forever.”
During the feast, a cross was presented that will now stay suspended over the altar of St. John Lateran. It is there to remind of the importance of the basilica, which is considered the “mother and heart” of all churches in the Eternal City and the world, because it is the episcopal seat of the bishop of Rome, the pope.
Daniel Díaz Vizzi
Translated: Rachel Dobrzynski
