What is the oldest church in Rome?

The church is the oldest and highest ranking of the four major papal basilicas as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, holding the unique title of archbasilica. Founded in 324, it is the oldest public church in the city of Rome, and the oldest basilica of the Western world.



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San Giovanni in Laterano St. John Lateran is actually the official cathedral of Rome (not St. Peter's!) and is the seat of the bishop of Rome – a.k.a. the Pope. One of the four major basilicas in Rome, the cathedral was built in the 4th century AD and is believed to be one the first Catholic churches in Rome.

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According to the Catholic Encyclopedia the Cenacle (the site of the Last Supper) in Jerusalem was the first Christian church. The Dura-Europos church in Syria is the oldest surviving church building in the world, while the archaeological remains of both the Aqaba Church and the Megiddo church have been considered to ...

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St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the largest church in the world.

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The word basilica is derived from a Greek term meaning “royal court”—from which the king exercised his reign. In the Catholic world, a basilica is a church building that has been recognized and accorded special privileges by the pope.

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Catholics hold that Saint Peter was Rome's first bishop and the consecrator of Linus as its next bishop, thus starting the unbroken line which includes the current pontiff, Pope Francis. That is, the Catholic Church maintains the apostolic succession of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope – the successor to Saint Peter.

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Peter zu Trier), or Trier Cathedral (German: Trierer Dom), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the oldest church in Germany and the largest religious structure in Trier, notable for its long life span and grand design.

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According to the Catholic Encyclopedia the Cenacle (the site of the Last Supper) in Jerusalem was the first Christian church. The Dura-Europos church in Syria is the oldest surviving church building in the world, while the archaeological remains of both the Aqaba Church and the Megiddo church have been considered to ...

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