I am often asked when it will be more affordable to travel to Europe with the current value of the dollar so low. The truth is that one can always make travel more affordable. With smart planning, a change in…

As I sat to write my latest travel article, I wanted to focus my attention on Saint Paul to celebrate the beginning of the Pauline Year. But as I began to write, I realized that to do the man any…

We return today to the cathedral of Rome, Saint John Lateran. We were last here on Palm Sunday and we'll be back on Holy Saturday.

Today, let's start outside, beside the church. Near the side entrance stands the tallest and oldest authentic Egyptian obelisk in the world. This single block of Egyptian red granite stands over 100 feet tall. It first stood in the Temple of the Sun in Heliopolis today's Egypt. The obelisk dates back to the fifteenth century, that's fifteenth century, B.C. Because of the age and where it was located, it's believed to have been seen by Moses. It's been in Rome since the first century B.C. It was moved to the Lateran in 1588.

Saint Paul writes in Romans 16:3-5: "Salute Prisca and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus (who have for my life laid down their own necks: to whom not I only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the…

Nearly three weeks ago, we visited the church of Santa Pudenziana. That church is built over the ancient home of Senator Pudens, the home where Saint Peter first stayed after his arrival in Rome. The church is dedicated to the…

Sacrosancta Lateranensis ecclesia omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput. Of all the churches in the city and the world, the Most Holy Lateran church is the mother and the head. This phrase is inscribed above the entrance to Saint John Lateran.

Surely this is a mistake, right? Isn't Saint Peter's Basilica the mother and head of all churches?

No, as lovely and important as Saint Peter's may be, it is not the mother and head of all the churches. This title belongs to Rome's cathedral, Saint John Lateran.

After Constantine defeated Maxentius in 312, he marched to this spot and dedicated the land to Christ. He gave the property to the Church so that a place for public worship could be built. As the first cathedral of Rome, it was dedicated Basilica Salvatoris, the Basilica of the Saviour. The church eventually became known as Saint John Lateran, named for both Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist.

Today we visit the church of Saint John before the Latin Gate. The church is dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist and the name refers to the ancient tradition of his time in Rome. Saint John was brought from Ephesus to Rome under orders by Emperor Domitian. He was to be punished for his faith. When John neared the city, the emperor went to meet him by the Latin Gate, one of the gates in the wall surrounding Rome. Domitian first had John tortured, then boiled in a cauldron of oil. When they brought the saint out of the boiling oil, he was still very much alive, in fact, they say refreshed, as if he had just taken a nice soak in the tub. The emperor was quite shaken by this and exiled him to the (very beautiful, by the way) island of Patmos, where he would go on to write the Apocalypse.

Today we visit Rome's first circular church, San Stefano Rotondo. Modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, this church has almost the identical circumference and diameter. The church was once made up of three circular walkways which surrounded the nave. The outer ring fell into disrepair, so now just two circular aisles remain.

Lining the walls of the outermost ring are twenty-four sixteenth century frescos each depicting a scene of horrific martyrdom. The scenes even include descriptions of the event and name the emperor responsible for the execution. Not long after the completion of the frescos, seminarians were encouraged to study the scenes. Not only did the scenes show them what the early martyrs endured for their faith, but they also helped prepare for possible future torment, especially  for those about to be sent off as missionaries.

Today's church is dedicated to the martyr Saint Apollinaris, a disciple of Saint Peter and the first bishop of Ravenna. He was responsible for converting many to the faith and faced nearly constant persecution throughout his life. He was arrested on three occasions and thrown out of the city. When he returned yet again, and was arrested yet again, he was beaten and left for dead. He eventually died from the wounds.

This church was founded in the seventh century, using materials from nearby imperial ruins. It was declared a station church by Pope Gregory II in the eighth century. One thousand years later, Pope Benedict XIV completely rebuilt and rededicated the church.

The tradition surrounding today's church states that during the reign of Emperor Maxentius, Pope Saint Marcellus was arrested. He was freed by the faithful and hidden in the home of a Roman woman named Lucina. While here, the Holy Father built a small chapel in her house. But, he was soon rearrested and the emperor turned the property into a stable and forced the pope to work as a stable hand. Due to the exhausting work and lack of provisions, Pope Marcellus eventually died. He was buried in the catacombs of Saint Priscilla.

Emperor Maxentius continued his rule until October 28, 312, when he went to battle with his brother-in-law, Constantine. This was the battle that led to the legalization of Christianity. The night before the battle, Constantine had a vision of the cross and heard, "in hoc signo vinces", in this sign you will conquer. He ordered his men to mark their shields with the sign of the cross. The next day, the two armies met at the Milvian Bridge. Constantine defeated Maxentius and became the first Christian Emperor of Rome.