Pope’s Word Elevates Cathedral to Honored Status of a Basilica
Pope John Paul II was so impressed with Sacred Heart Cathedral, he declared it a basilica, a papal honor associated with churches of great beauty or significance.
Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick said that at the conclusion of the vespers service Wednesday night, the Pope turned to him and said, “ ‘This should be a basilica.’ ”
All it takes is the Pope’s word.
Technically, the cathedral was declared a minor basilica, which are important churches inside and outside Rome honored by the pontiff but not having the distinctive design of a basilica.
Minor basilicas get a distinctive emblem--an umbrella striped in yellow and red--and can be used for papal ceremonies that other churches cannot conduct, said Michael Hurley, the Newark archdiocese spokesman.
“It’s like a priest becoming a monsignor,” McCarrick told reporters. “It’s a special honor only the Pope can endow.”
Sacred Heart is one of 31 minor basilicas in the United States.
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