The Church of San Giovanni in Laterno

 

I would say we stumbled across this church by accident, but my mother often said, "There aren't accidents. There are 'God-addents.'" So, I'm assuming God wanted me to see this church, located near the Holy Stairs, which are daily ascended by pilgrims in their knees. It's the Church of San Giovanni in Laterno, built by Constantine about 318 A.D.. It functioned as Rome's most important church through medieval times, and I wasn't even planning to visit it...but God had other plans.

You're looking at the chair (the "cathedra") which reminds visitors this is the cathedral of Rome, and the pope himself is the bishop who sits here.  This is the Pope's chair, where he reigned for 1,000 years.

This is a seat of power, incredible power, and as such it's been attacked by the malevolent throughout the ages. It was assailed again in 1993 when Cosa Nostra terrorists attacked with bombs in an attempt to intimidate and silence the Church for criticizing their actions.

When I took this picture, inside the very first Christian church in the city of Rome, I sensed a deep understanding of why evil loathes the goodness of God and the kindness of God's people. Then I started to wonder, "How much does evil hate and fear the part of the Church everyone calls 'GCC?" 

I still wonder...

Psalm 109:1-5  -  My God, don't turn a deaf ear to my hallelujah prayer. Liars are pouring out invective on me; Their lying tongues are like a pack of dogs out to get me, barking their hate, nipping my heels—and for no reason! I loved them and now they slander me—yes, me!— and treat my prayer like a crime; They return my good with evil, they return my love with hate.