What is a Roman Catholic cathedral?

Answer 1

A cathedral is the church within a diocese/archdiocese which houses the "cathedra" or 'chair' of the bishop.

Answer: After Christ's death his disciples organized themselves into congregations, many of which met in private homes. (Philemon 2) For decades these congregations were cared for by spiritually "older men." (Acts 20:17, 28; Hebrews 13:17) After the death of the apostles, however, there was a falling away from true Christianity. (Acts 20:29, 30) In time, a number of elders elevated themselves above the others and became viewed as bishops having oversight of a number of congregations-something Jesus had warned against. (Matthew 23:9-12) The word "church," which originally applied to Christians themselves, was then also applied to their place of worship-the building itself. It wasn't long before some bishops sought to have churches that befitted their rank. A new term was thus coined to describe the bishop's church-the cathedral.

This term comes from the Greek word kathedra, meaning "seat." The cathedral was thus the bishop's throne, the symbol of his temporal power. From his cathedral the bishop presided over a jurisdiction, the bishopric.

"The Age of Cathedrals"

In 325 C.E., the Council of Nicaea formally recognized the establishment of bishops in cities. Supported now by the Roman State, the bishops frequently procured extensive gifts of land from the authorities. They also took over many pagan places of worship. When the Roman Empire foundered, the ecclesiastical structures survived and grew to be dominant in the Middle Ages. That period soon became what French historian Georges Duby calls "the Age of Cathedrals."

From the 7th century to the 14th century, Europe's population tripled. This demographic upheaval primarily benefited the cities, whose prosperity increased. Consequently, the richest episcopal cities were the most favorable sites for the growth of colossal cathedrals. Why? Because these grand projects could only flourish where there was a continuous flow of money!

Another factor that fueled the building of cathedrals was the popular veneration of the Virgin Mary and religious relics. This blossomed as never before in the 11th and 12th centuries. Bishops expanded this worship, thereby increasing the popularity of their cathedrals. The title Notre-Dame (Our Lady) began to grace cathedrals in France at this time. "Which town did not dedicate a church and often its cathedral to her?" asks the Catholic encyclopedia Théo. Thus, Saint-Étienne cathedral in Paris was dedicated to Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame cathedral in Chartres, France, became one of Europe's foremost shrines. "No single figure-not even Christ Himself-dominated the lives and thoughts of the cathedral builders as thoroughly as did the Virgin Mary," says The Horizon Book of Great Cathedrals.

Answer 2

The word cathedral comes from the Latin cathedra, "seat" from the Greek kathedra (καθέδρα), seat, bench. A cathedral is the 'seat' of government and church of a bishop in the Catholic Church. The bishop is the spiritual leader of a diocese.

Answer 3

Every Catholic diocese has a cathedral, which is the "seat" or the home parish of the bishop of that diocese.

Answer 4

St. John Lateren Cahedral is the official Cathedral of Rome. The Vatican is usually thought to be but is not. The Cathedral is where the Bishop's Chair is located.