|
Miniature gilt Lateran cross with loop for ribbon suspension; the face with a circular central medallion with the head of Christ; the medallions at the ends of each arm with the heads of Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; the reverse inscribed ‘‘SA / CRO SANCTA / LATERANENSIS ECCLESIA / OMN URB ET ORB ECCLESIAS / MATER / ET / CA / PUT’ (Latin = Sacred Lateran Church, Mother and Head of All Churches of the City and the World); diameter 14.53mm (0.57 inch); on replaced correct ribbon. The cross was established by Pope Leo XIII on 18 February 1903 to recognise pilgrims to Rome. The Lateran Palace and the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Christendom's earliest basilica, are named after their former owners, the Lateranus family, who lost their properties to the Emperor Constantine who in turn gave them to the Church. St. John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pontiff. The Cross is hard to find, especially in miniature.
|
